Sublime

At its height in 2018, Joymode catered to as many as 10,000 monthly customers. Subscribers paid between $22 and $29 a month, while à la carte customers paid a fee equal to 10 percent of an item's retail price. Each week, Joymode processed more than 30,000 rental products through its warehouse, and during the summers--its busiest season--took in as ... See more

Unlike other middlemen like Instacart and Uber Eats, GoPuff acts more like a retailer, buying directly from giants like Anheuser-Busch, PepsiCo and Unilever. It generates revenue not so much from the nominal delivery fee, but from slapping a hefty markup on the stuff and, increasingly, selling better placement on its app.

A new kid has emerged on the block to create an ultra-fast standard for on-demand delivery: Quick Commerce.