Latest news with #H-E-B-owned
Miami Herald
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Forget Tesla robotaxis, this grocery chain tries wild delivery method
Lately, it seems that humans are willingly allowing technology to take over, as evidenced by the upcoming release of self-driving taxis. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter For years, Tesla has been trying to develop robotaxis. The Tesla robotaxi or Cybercab is an autonomous electric vehicle that uses self-driving technology to transport passengers. This innovative method of transportation is intended to roll out by the end of June in Austin, Texas. Related: Walmart makes deal to open popular food chain in stores Meanwhile, grocery stores have introduced various new ways to make getting groceries easier and more convenient for busy consumers. Thanks to these developments, consumers now have more options than ever, including curbside pickup, delivery, or the old-school way of driving to the nearest grocery store and picking the items up yourself. However, this Southern supermarket is unexpectedly changing the game by testing an innovative new way for customers to access needed items. And not even Tesla owner Elon Musk saw it coming. Image Source:H-E-B, a Texas-based grocery store chain with over 435 locations across Texas and Mexico, is known for its high-quality products sold at low prices. Unlike rival grocery store giants like Walmart (WMT) and Kroger (KR) , H-E-B has not expanded to other states in the U.S., despite its inception 120 years ago and being Texans' favorite place to shop for groceries. This is why the supermarket's latest move came as a surprise to many. Related: Forget drones, Amazon has new robots that could replace humans H-E-B revealed it has begun testing an autonomous vehicle delivery service at one of its locations in none other than Austin, Texas, in partnership with Avride, an autonomous vehicle development company. Since May, the grocery store chain has delivered groceries to customers within a one-mile radius who order through the H-E-B-owned delivery app Favor. The self-driving robots can carry up to 10 small items and are the size of a medium-sized box. They drive as fast as up to five miles per hour and can travel around 31 miles when fully charged. The robots use sensors and cameras to avoid bumping into obstacles and identify traffic signals. They can also move in nearly all weather conditions. More Retail News: Bankrupt retail chain makes major comeback, reopens new storesGoogle brings Iron Man/Tony Stark tech to regular peopleAfter bankruptcy, closed clothing chain hints at comeback H-E-B has not announced whether it plans to extend this service to other locations, as the test is still in its infancy. However, if successful, this new way of delivering groceries could soon become the norm or even inspire other major grocery stores to launch their own versions. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Miami Herald
17-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
H-E-B pilots autonomous vehicle delivery in Austin
Dive Brief: H-E-B is piloting autonomous vehicle delivery from a store in Austin, Texas, the grocer confirmed in an email to Grocery robots have been delivering select orders of grocery items through Favor, the H-E-B-owned delivery app offering groceries, restaurant meals, alcohol and household items, from the Mueller H-E-B store since May, the grocer pilot marks the latest effort by a grocer to test autonomous vehicle delivery. Dive Insight: While several grocers have tested bot delivery over the last few years, autonomous delivery is still rare in the grocery industry. H-E-B partnered with autonomous vehicle maker Avride, which is headquartered in Austin, for the pilot. The bots have a delivery radius of roughly one mile and service customers living in the Austin Mueller District of the city. With the pilot, customers can get 10 small items delivered by the bots between 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, Chron reported. Avride's website says that its delivery robot can hold six 16.5-inch pizzas and five 1.5-liter bottles. The bot uses sensors, lidar and cameras to navigate and has cameras that blur faces and license plates to ensure privacy, according to the company. The robots travel up to five miles per hour and can cover 31 miles on a single charge. The bots are a familiar sight to people in the Mueller neighborhood. Last spring, Avride bots started ferrying food from restaurants to delivery customers, according to local news station KXAN. H-E-B said it does not have expansion plans to share about the pilot. Last summer, Favor added a quick delivery option that lets customers get up to 15 grocery items in 45 minutes or less. Save Mart and Erewhon Market have also piloted sidewalk delivery robots in recent years as several tech companies, including Uber, look to make autonomous vehicles mainstream. Copyright 2025 Industry Dive. All rights reserved.
