Taxi hire app Uber branches out into grocery delivery
Uber, the taxi hire business, has added another feather to its cap with the trial launch of a same day grocery delivery service in Washington DC, US.
A ‘Corner Store’ button within its main smartphone app now allows people to order from more than 100 everyday items whilst hiring a cab with prices said to be competitive with local convenience stores and with no delivery fee.
This gives consumers the choice of a range of non-perishable items from chewing gum to shaving gel and nappies between 09:00 and 21:00 with no minimum order requirements.
Analysts suggest that the offer may be a means to provide employment to freelance drivers who may otherwise be lacking fares during quiet spells although questions remain as to the economic viability of the ‘experiment’.
For its part Uber has committed to the trial for only a few weeks but has promised to extend it if the demand is there.
The expansion treads directly on the toes of the likes of Amazon and Google, both of which offer home delivery services of their own in the form of AmazonFresh and Shopping Express – although these remain limited to California/Seattle and San Francisco/New York/Los Angeles for now.