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Instacart Product Chief Says Grocery’s Future Is All About the AI-Powered ‘Personal Planogram’
August 26, 2024
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One hundred years ago, the grocery shopper was just trying out the new concept of chain stores like Piggly Wiggly, A&P and King Kullen. She would visit one of these chains with sawdust on the floor and handwritten price tags for items like sirloin steak (.39 pound), flour (.04) and butter (.45). Even back then in the 1920s, the industry had its own trade periodical — and it picked out a prescient issue that would come to dominate the economics of the category.

“During the [1917-18] war, and in the period of reconstruction, we have heard and read much of eliminating the so-called ‘Middleman,’” the editors of Progressive Grocer wrote in its inaugural issue in 1922. “We are convinced, however, that no method has yet been developed that can more economically serve the consumer than the present triumvirate of manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer.”

Outside of the obvious price differences, in some ways, the issues in the grocery business have remained the same, as highlighted in the Progressive Grocer editorial. It’s still about economically serving the consumer. Shoppers will still want to handle their produce, even though digital delivery options abound. Some will still want the experience of seeing the Wheaties box with Simone Biles on the shelf. But in other ways, absolutely everything has changed.

According to the PYMNTS Global Digital Shopping Index, grocery merchants now need to prioritize features that are different from retail merchants for maximum impact. For merchants that provide groceries, “Click and Mortar consumers most want to use their preferred payment method. The next most valued features are rewards — as grocery shoppers want to earn discounts for their loyalty — and digitally available product details. Consumers also want digitally available coupons that are usable both in-store and online.

Looking back can point the way forward. It’s no coincidence, Instacart Chief Product Officer Daniel Danker told Karen Webster, that the company kicked off a recent all-hands meeting with a look at 1924 trends. These days, grocery is all about the Click and Mortar shopper navigating the connected economy. If Instacart is any indicator, the grocery experience is about to get more “shoppable. Looking to become more than just a food delivery service, Instacart is preparing new AI tools for an upgraded digital grocery experience that will move affordability up the priority list in a shift that it believes will strengthen the overall grocery ecosystem.

“It always has to come back to the customer,” Danker told Webster. “It has to solve a problem. We can’t just have technology for the sake of technology.”

Ch-Ch-Changes And AI’s Beginner Phase

Today, Instacart sees the future of grocery shopping as a hybrid model that combines the best of digital convenience with the sensory experience of in-store shopping. Danker told Webster that in the very near future, the back of the store is going to be oriented much more around enabling fulfillment, either for online orders that are delivered or online orders that are picked up. The front of the store will be oriented much more around the set of products that consumers want to browse and touch — tailored, time-efficient and tuned to the changing profile of the grocery store shopper.

Instacart’s AI strategy revolves around convenience and personalization, with features like the “Buy it again function, which typically contains over 200 items for the average user.

“We want to make it effortless, and it’s beginner AI,” he told Webster, explaining that phase one is all about making food decisions effortless for the shopper. “Intermediate and advanced is going to get really exciting.”

Instacart is working on more proactive AI features such as anticipating when customers are likely to run out of certain products and making intelligent suggestions based on past purchases and preferences.

Instacart’s vision for the future of grocery shopping involves what Danker calls a “personal planogram.” This concept aims to break free from the traditional store layout, the foundational plank around which stores are designed and products displayed, creating a uniquely tailored shopping experience for each customer.

“Online, that store really can physically reshape itself around needs,” Danker explains. This personalization extends to understanding dietary preferences, household composition, and even specific recipe needs.  “If my wife adds pancake mix to her cart and she inadvertently adds one that has wheat in it, [a message] will pop up and say, ‘this same brand has a gluten-free version’.”

The personal planogram will also anticipate shoppers’ needs based on their regular cooking habits. “We’re going to start to understand automatically the dishes that you have on rotation in your household, Danker says, explaining how the app could suggest all necessary ingredients for a dish with just a few taps. Their recent partnership with the NY Times Cooking section makes recipes shoppable, something that Danker says is among the most complicated logistical feats in delivery.

“It’s about knowing what’s in the store, and specifically knowing what’s on the shelf,” Danker said. “It’s extremely important. We do that better than anyone. If you’re placing an order right now for tomorrow, and those items are going to get replenished overnight, not letting you buy a certain product because it’s out of stock tonight might be foolish because it’ll be on the shelf by tomorrow morning. That requires so much history, right to every store in every location that we can predict when these items are going to show up on the shelf.”

Making Grocery Shopping More Affordable

With inflation comes a need for affordability — that’s a key focus for Instacart, especially given the rising costs of buying and putting food on the table.  To address this, Instacart is developing features to help customers make more cost-effective choices. One such feature is the personalized digital flyer, which Danker describes as “almost the equivalent of the circular that lands on people’s counters. The difference is we’ve personalized it. And it doesn’t get misplaced or mistakenly thrown away. The digital flyer informs customers about sales on products they regularly purchase across different stores, providing comparison shopping without the need to get in a car and visit multiple stores to save a couple of dollars here and there.

This comes over and above the store loyalty programs integrations Instacart provides its shoppers. “Linking even just the loyalty programs, which we’re also obsessed with making available to customers, is saving customers $8-10 per order,” Danker said.

From Groceries to Eat:  The Uber Eats Partnership

Instacart’s recent collaboration with Uber Eats marks a significant shift in the company’s approach to food delivery. “We are actually no longer a grocery delivery service. We’re a food delivery service, Danker states, emphasizing the company’s evolution to encompass both grocery and restaurant delivery. Danker told Webster that this partnership aligns with Instacart’s goal of meeting customers’ broader food needs. “If you want to serve customers better, you need to understand customer’s motivations. And the customer’s motivation in our case is convenient, healthy food, he said.

Early results from this collaboration are promising. Danker notes that the partnership has been “completely incremental for grocery orders, allaying concerns about potential cannibalization. Moreover, it’s performing particularly well among Instacart Plus members, indicating increased value for subscribers. It’s part of what he sees as the more connected future for the grocery and restaurant category.

Danker says that AI and all the many elements of the current Instacart platform will deliver more affordability, regardless of the channels consumers shop. Instacart’s acquisition of Caper gives shoppers a digital grocery shopping experience using their Instacart credentials in the store, including personalized ads based on what’s already in the shopping cart or items that might complement them. Instacart gives grocery stores an omnichannel experience they don’t have to build themselves, without losing touch with the consumer.

“Instacart’s going to deliver so much access, not just convenience, but access to stores you might not have gone to yourself that actually you’ll be able to get,” Danker said, “and we’re going to satisfy those needs best through Instacart, because we’re so much more connected to the world around you.”

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Musk Turns On Starlink to Save Iranians from Regime’s Internet Crackdown

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a visionary behind SpaceX, has flipped the switch on Starlink, delivering internet to Iranians amid a brutal regime crackdown.

This move comes on the heels of Israeli strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, as the Islamic Republic cuts off online access.

The former Department of Government Efficiency chief activated Starlink satellite internet service for Iranians on Saturday following the Islamic Republic's decision to impose nationwide internet restrictions.

As the Jerusalem Post reports, that the Islamic Republic’s Communications Ministry announced the move, stating, "In view of the special conditions of the country, temporary restrictions have been imposed on the country’s internet."

This action followed a series of Israeli attacks on Iranian targets.

Starlink, a SpaceX-developed satellite constellation, provides high-speed internet to regions with limited connectivity, such as remote areas or conflict zones.

Elizabeth MacDonald, a Fox News contributor, highlighted its impact, noting, "Elon Musk turning on Starlink for Iran in 2022 was a game changer. Starlink connects directly to SpaceX satellites, bypassing Iran’s ground infrastructure. That means even during government-imposed shutdowns or censorship, users can still get online, and reportedly more than 100,000 inside Iran are doing that."

During the 2022 "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests, Starlink enabled Iranians to communicate and share footage globally despite network blackouts," she added.

MacDonald also mentioned ongoing tests of "direct-to-cell" capabilities, which could allow smartphone connections without a dish, potentially expanding access and supporting free expression and protest coordination.

Musk confirmed the activation, noting on Saturday, "The beams are on."

This follows the regime’s internet shutdowns, which were triggered by Israeli military actions.

Adding to the tension, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Iranian people on Friday, urging resistance against the regime.

"Israel's fight is not against the Iranian people. Our fight is against the murderous Islamic regime that oppresses and impoverishes you,” he said.

Meanwhile, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last monarch, called on military and security forces to abandon the regime, accusing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a Persian-language social media post of forcing Iranians into an unwanted war.

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In the wake of hurricanes and earthquakes, Starlink has provided critical internet access to affected communities, enabling emergency communications and coordination.

Similarly, during the Ukraine-Russia conflict, Musk activated Starlink to support Ukrainian forces and civilians, ensuring they could maintain contact and access vital information under dire circumstances.

The genius entrepreneur, is throwing a lifeline to the oppressed in Iran, and the libs can’t stand it.

Conservative talk show host Mark Levin praised Musk’s action, reposting a message stating that Starlink would "reconnect the Iranian people with the internet and put the final nail in the coffin of the Iranian regime."

"God bless you, Elon. The Starlink beams are on in Iran!" Levin wrote.

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GENIUS Act lets State banks conduct some business nationwide. Regulators object

The Senate passed the GENIUS Act for stablecoins last week, but significant work remains before it becomes law. The House has a different bill, the STABLE Act, with notable differences that must be reconciled. State banking regulators have raised strong objections to a provision in the GENIUS Act that would allow state banks to operate nationwide without authorization from host states or a federal regulator.

The controversial clause permits a state bank with a regulated stablecoin subsidiary to provide money transmitter and custodial services in any other state. While host states can impose consumer protection laws, they cannot require the usual authorization and oversight typically needed for out-of-state banking operations.

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors welcomed some changes in the GENIUS Act but remains adamantly opposed to this particular provision. In a statement, CSBS said:

“Critical changes must be made during House consideration of the legislation to prevent unintended consequences and further mitigate financial stability risks. CSBS remains concerned with the dramatic and unsupported expansion of the authority of uninsured banks to conduct money transmission or custody activities nationwide without the approval or oversight of host state supervisors (Sec. 16(d)).”

The National Conference of State Legislatures expressed similar concerns in early June, stating:

“We urge you to oppose Section 16(d) and support state authority to regulate financial services in a manner that reflects local conditions, priorities and risk tolerances. Preserving the dual banking system and respecting state autonomy is essential to the safety, soundness and diversity of our nation’s financial sector.”

Evolution of nationwide authorization

Section 16 addresses several issues beyond stablecoins, including preventing a recurrence of the SEC’s SAB 121, which forced crypto assets held in custody onto balance sheets. However, the nationwide authorization subsection was added after the legislation cleared the Senate Banking Committee, with two significant modifications since then.

Originally, the provision applied only to special bank charters like Wyoming’s Special Purpose Depository Institutions or Connecticut’s Innovation Banks. Examples include crypto-focused Custodia Bank and crypto exchange Kraken in Wyoming, plus traditional finance player Fnality US in Connecticut. Recently the scope was expanded to cover most state chartered banks with stablecoin subsidiaries, possibly due to concerns about competitive advantages.

Simultaneously, the clause was substantially tightened. The initial version allowed state chartered banks to provide money transmission and custody services nationwide for any type of asset, which would include cryptocurrencies. Now these activities can only be conducted by the stablecoin subsidiary, and while Section 16(d) doesn’t explicitly limit services to stablecoins, the GENIUS Act currently restricts issuers to stablecoin related activities.

However, the House STABLE Act takes a more permissive approach, allowing regulators to decide which non-stablecoin activities are permitted. If the House version prevails in reconciliation, it could result in a significant expansion of allowed nationwide banking activities beyond stablecoins.

Is it that bad?

As originally drafted, the clause seemed overly permissive.

The amended clause makes sense for stablecoin issuers. They want to have a single regulator and be able to provide the stablecoin services throughout the United States. But it also leans into the perception outside of crypto that this is just another form of regulatory arbitrage.

The controversy over Section 16(d) reflects concerns about creating a regulatory gap that allows banks to operate interstate without the oversight typically required from either federal or state authorities. As the two Congressional chambers work toward reconciliation, lawmakers must decide whether stablecoin legislation should include provisions that effectively reduce traditional banking oversight requirements.

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If you find value in my content, consider showing your support via:

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Dubai regulator VARA classifies RWA issuance as licensed activity
Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) leads global regulatory framework - makes RWA issuance licensed activity in Dubai.

Real-world assets (RWAs) issuance is now licensed activity in Dubai.

~ Actual law.
~ Not a legal gray zone.
~ Not a whitepaper fantasy.

RWA issuance and listing on secondary markets is defined under binding crypto regulation.

It’s execution by Dubai.

Irina Heaver explained:

“RWA issuance is no longer theoretical. It’s now a regulatory reality.”

VARA defined:

- RWAs are classified as Asset-Referenced Virtual Assets (ARVAs)

- Secondary market trading is permitted under VARA license

- Issuers need capital, audits, and legal disclosures

- Regulated broker-dealers and exchanges can now onboard and trade them

This closes the gap that killed STOs in 2018.

No more tokenization without venues.
No more assets without liquidity.

UAE is doing what Switzerland, Singapore, and Europe still haven’t:

Creating enforceable frameworks for RWA tokenization that actually work.

Matthew White, CEO of VARA, said it perfectly:

“Tokenization will redefine global finance in 2025.”

He’s not exaggerating.

$500B+ market predicted next year.

And the UAE just gave it legal rails.

~Real estate.
~Private credit.
~Shariah-compliant products.

Everything is in play.

This is how you turn hype into infrastructure.

What Dubai is doing now is 3 years ahead of everyone else.

Founders, investors, ecosystem builders:

You want to build real-world assets onchain.

Don’t waste another year waiting for clarity.

Come to Dubai.

It’s already here.

 

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