Driverless cars will disrupt the food and drinks industries in the next ten years, according to a new future-focused service from just-food and just-drinks.

The inaugural FUTURES report has found the use of autonomous vehicles in grocery delivery will change the look and feel of food and drinks products as packaging evolves to become smart and lightweight. However, as part of the in-depth analysis, auto industry experts warned the technology needed to make driverless vehicles an everyday reality is still a way off.

Key findings in the report include:

  • Driverless vehicles will cut last-mile delivery time and cost, changing the way consumers shop
  • Food and drinks companies will need to rethink packaging, online presence and retailer relationships
  • Kroger, Walmart and Ocado are ahead with driverless delivery trials
  • Consumers are already enthused by the prospect of driverless grocery delivery

The report explores the current pilot schemes between retailers and autonomous car firms and the mega trends propelling the move towards automated grocery delivery. The report also features consumer insights experts and their work examining how people feel about the prospects of ‘last yard’ delivery as well as specialist insight from the auto industry on the reality of driverless vehicles.

Speaking about the new report, FUTURES editor Lucy Britner said: “The prospect of fully-automated vehicles delivering grocery products directly to our homes may be a few years away, but as more and more retailers begin to invest in pilot schemes it is important to look at how food and drinks companies can start to prepare.

“This is the first in a series of future insights reports, designed to look at what will disrupt the food and drinks industries and offer insight into what businesses can start to do now.”

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FUTURES was launched in October 2018 by just-food and just-drinks’ parent company Aroq. Starting with a series of digital magazines, the FUTURES service will cover everything from new technologies to emerging consumer trends.

Aroq CEO Richard Jackson said: “We live in a time of unprecedented and rapid change. It is becoming more challenging than ever for businesses to navigate their way through disruption.

“We have launched the FUTURES service to help the food and drinks industries look beyond the five-year horizon and prepare for doing business in a whole host of new environments.”

The Future of Autonomous Delivery – click here for a free download