Uber Eats is launching a “refreshed grocery delivery service” with new app features for consumers and retailers.
For consumers, the app will support “closed store shopping” which allows shoppers to place orders after hours, “with delivery in the first available window or scheduled at your convenience”.
An “item replacement option” will also be offered within the app, giving shoppers the chance to pick an alternative “back-up” for those items that are low in stock, and not available when the order is fulfilled.
Grocers on the Uber Eats platform will see “improved capabilities” like barcode scanning, more efficient inventory management, a more streamlined route to add item images, and “new real-time support to fix any issues that come up – at Uber speed”. The merchant features won’t be a “new standalone” product, Uber told The Grocer, but improvements to existing functionality.
“The UK has one of the world’s most sophisticated audiences when it comes to grocery delivery,” said Alex Troughton, head of grocery and new verticals at Uber Eats UK.
“We want to continue to invest in our world-class technology to provide them the best delivery service possible from their favourite supermarkets and local grocers,” he added.
The US version of the app will also offer consumers live order tracking, so users can “follow the shopping experience every step of the way”.
“Now as each item is scanned and added to your cart for checkout, your order is paid and on its way… you’ll know,” Uber promotional material reads.
However, this feature is not expected in the UK “for a while” Uber told The Grocer.
Uber Eats began delivering from grocery stores two years ago and has since delivered “millions of items” from retailers in 33 countries. Partners in the UK include Sainsbury’s, Asda and Iceland.
Announcing the improved features, Uber cited its acquisition of last summer, Latin American delivery startup Cornershop. Cornershop became a wholly owned subsidiary of Uber in June last year, a year after Uber took a majority stake in the business.
“Together, we will double down on the strategy of bringing same-day grocery delivery to the Uber platform worldwide,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement at the time.
The updated grocery service had been done “with their help” Uber said, adding: “We’ve worked to bring their product and industry expertise to Uber’s best in class technology.”
It is understood Uber rival Deliveroo is also working on improvements to the useability of its app for groceries on both the consumer and retailer side. For both companies, grocery now makes up a significant proportion of orders delivered and is the fastest growing segment.
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