The pandemic has been hitting the ride-hailing industry hard. So in response, Uber wants to focus on delivering more goods, including toiletries, pet supplies, and your own packages.
On Sunday, the company launched a new project called Uber Direct to deliver products from local businesses to your home’s doorstep. It’s now rolling out in select cities across the globe.
“We’ve heard from people around the world who are looking for new ways to get necessities delivered to their door quickly, and businesses that are exploring how to better serve their customers from afar,” Uber said in the announcement.
The new project is an extension of Uber Eats platform, which focuses on delivering foods from local restaurants and convenience stores. Now in New York City, the company is partnering with the vendor Cabinet to deliver over-the-counter health products to local residents.
"In Portugal we’re working alongside the national postal service CTT to deliver parcels to their customers. And in Australia, we’re coordinating with Greencross to deliver pet supplies from Petbarn, City Farmers and the Greencross Vets clinics with same-day service,” the company added.
Uber Connect
Uber also wants to act as your own personal delivery provider. So in select cities, the company is launching Uber Connect, a way to hire a local driver to deliver your packages to neighboring friends or family members.
“Whether it’s a care package, a board game, or an extra roll of much-needed toilet paper, you can send it by requesting ‘Uber Connect’ in the Uber app,” the company added. “This option is now available in more than 25 cities in Australia, Mexico, and the US.”
Of course, you can also send deliveries via the US Postal Service or FedEx. But Uber says the new Connect service is ideal for people, who want to minimize trips outside. “It’s a cost effective same-day, no-contact delivery solution that keeps people feeling close, even when we’re apart,” the company added.
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