Food Delivery Giants' Map Wars Target Retail's Last Mile

Uber spent $14.8 billion to acquire Delivery Hero, causing an uproar in the tech circle. But if you see this merely as a consolidation in the food delivery market, you're missing the truly interesting part. I've worked on retail tech products for years and have seen similar "expansion logic" at Hema (Freshippo)—it's not just about buying users, but about buying "physical touchpoints." This acquisition is essentially laying down a foundational network for instant retail, with food delivery being just the surface coating of that net.