--- title: "DoorDash, Uber Eats and Instacart Are Thriving as Consumers Cut Back Elsewhere: DASH CFO Explains Why" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/296772701.md" description: "DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart report strong sales growth as consumers prioritize food delivery despite broader spending cuts. CFO Ravi Inukonda attributes this resilience to the necessity of eating and the value of convenience. While retail sales decline and inflation pressures mount, delivery apps expand offerings and customer bases, maintaining demand for essential grocery and meal services." datetime: "2026-08-24T10:21:52.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/296772701.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296772701.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/296772701.md) generator: "portal-rs" --- # DoorDash, Uber Eats and Instacart Are Thriving as Consumers Cut Back Elsewhere: DASH CFO Explains Why U.S. consumers are pulling back on spending in several areas, but food delivery remains a relatively resilient part of household budgets. **DoorDash Inc.** (NASDAQ:DASH), **Uber Technologies Inc.** (NYSE:UBER) through **Uber Eats** and **Maplebear Inc.** (NASDAQ:CART), which operates **Instacart**, all posted strong sales growth in their latest quarterly results, showing consumers are still willing to pay for delivered restaurant meals and groceries, Business Insider reported Sunday. DoorDash CEO **Tony Xu** has been surprised by consumers’ willingness to continue paying for delivery despite higher costs. DoorDash CFO **Ravi Inukonda** said the broader food category remains resilient because people eat regularly, noting that "People eat 21 times a week, whether it’s food or groceries," according to the report. ## Consumers Cut Back Elsewhere Broader spending data points to a more cautious consumer. U.S. retail sales fell 0.6% in July, while Walmart posted its slowest quarterly comparable-sales growth since 2020. Lower-income consumers have also become more budget-conscious as inflation continues to weigh on purchasing power. Consumer sentiment remained below pandemic-era levels in August, while inflation exceeded wage growth for the fourth consecutive month. Real wages fell between December 2020 and 2024 for nearly 40% of workers, while higher prices continue to leave some households with less money available at the end of the month. That can push consumers to prioritize necessities and value while cutting less essential purchases. Some diners are also moving away from McDonald’s and toward rivals such as **Burger King** and **Chili’s**, which have reported sales growth driven in part by value-focused meal deals. The delivery apps are also expanding by reaching new customers and adding new offerings. Uber’s delivery gross bookings rose 26% during the second quarter, slightly outpacing growth in its ride-hailing business. **Read Also: Nvidia’s AI Servers Are About to Get Even More Expensive as Rising Memory Costs Push Prices Up More Than 15%: Report** ## Convenience Keeps Winning Food delivery can be expensive, but convenience remains a powerful reason consumers keep using it. Business Insider spoke with customers who said delivery saves time, helps them manage household responsibilities and can be worth the additional cost. For some households, grocery delivery can also be more practical than shopping in person. One consumer said delivery was cheaper than taking public transportation to a nearby store because local convenience-store prices were higher even after delivery costs. DoorDash is also expanding beyond traditional restaurant delivery. The company has added more stores and grocery options, including regional grocers and **The Kroger Co.** (NYSE:KR) purchases using SNAP benefits, giving consumers more reasons to use its platform. ## Food Costs Keep Rising The resilience of delivery comes despite continued pressure on food prices. A basic meal of a cheeseburger, fries and a drink rose 3.2% in price over the past year, with only a handful of U.S. cities averaging below $15. Food affordability is also straining household finances. More than one-quarter of working-age adults who used credit cards for groceries either could not pay their balances in full or missed minimum payments, while about 20% said they had used long-term savings, including emergency funds, to pay for groceries. That creates an unusual consumer picture: households are becoming more selective with spending, but food remains a necessity and convenience can still command a premium. For delivery platforms, that could make food and grocery orders more resilient than other forms of discretionary spending, particularly as consumers look for ways to save time without cutting essential purchases entirely. ***Disclaimer:** This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.* **Read Also: Uber Faces Nearly $1 Billion in Fines From Dutch Regulators Over Driver Suspensions Using Automation: Report** *Photo courtesy: Shutterstock* ### Related Stocks - [DASH.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/DASH.US.md) - [CART.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/CART.US.md) - [UBER.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/UBER.US.md) - [DASX.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/DASX.US.md) - [UBRL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/UBRL.US.md) - [UBEW.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/UBEW.US.md) - [WMT.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/WMT.US.md) - [MCD.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/MCD.US.md) - [NVDA.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/NVDA.US.md) - [KR.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/KR.US.md) - [NVD.DE](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/NVD.DE.md) ## Related News & Research - [Uber COO says there's a downside to being at the top](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296159632.md) - [Serve cuts 2026 guidance to $9 million and lines up Grubhub to keep 2,000 robots busy](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296150891.md) - [DoorDash adds Barnes & Noble to marketplace in back-to-school push](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296231925.md) - [Serve Robotics partners with Grubhub in robot delivery expansion push](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296101655.md) - [Is DoorDash (DASH) A Bargain Following Strong Q2 Results?](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296004378.md) --- > **Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.**