The grocery app wars are heating up.
Uber (UBER 2.67%) Eats on Wednesday launched its new Cart Assistant, a new AI-powered tool to make grocery shopping even easier.
Cart Assistant can take a handwritten shopping list or a screenshot of a recipe and automatically put those items in your online shopping basket, showing details like prices and any available promotions.
The AI will also build on past orders, reordering brands you have chosen in the past to personalize the process.
Among the chains shoppers can order from with Cart Assistant are Albertsons, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Wegmans, among others.
Image source: Uber.
Facing off with Instacart
The cart assistant launch raises the stakes with Instacart (CART +2.28%) as both companies are targeting the largest addressable market in retail.
Instacart already launched its own cart assistant last November, which gives its shoppers tools for personalized meal planning, budgeting, and product recommendations.
The use of agentic AI is proliferating across e-commerce, and AI is the latest battlefront between Instacart and Uber Eats.
Instacart's gross transaction value is approaching $40 billion a year, and it keeps roughly 10% of that as revenue. Uber's grocery and retail business was on track for a $12 billion gross bookings annual run rate in late 2025.
Instacart and Uber aren't just battling each other; retail giants like Walmart and Amazon have invested heavily in online grocery platforms. Grocery is not just a massive category. It's also frequently purchased, and gaining a foothold in grocery can yield gains elsewhere for these companies.
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What it means for Uber
The cart assistant isn't a game changer for Uber, but keeping up technologically with Instacart is a smart move. The company has invested heavily in AI, so it's not surprising to see the new feature rolled out.
Uber also has an advantage over Instacart because its platform serves so many use cases, including transport, food delivery, and grocery and retail delivery. That unified platform has made membership products like Uber One so successful.
Cart assistant is just one of the many ways Uber is using AI, including matching riders with drivers, optimizing routes, and dynamic prices. It's also incorporating generative AI to enhance customer support and improve personalization.
Expect the company to continue to invest in AI to better meet customer needs and drive the growth of the business.
