Uber revives product delivery service that drops off goods from stores to customers in lockdown

Uber is reviving its product delivery service that drops off goods from stores to customers in lockdown and lets users send items to people in the same area

  • Uber has rolled out two new services called Direct and Connect
  • Direct will deliver goods from stores to customers ASAP
  • Connect allows users to send items to friends in the same area

Uber will start delivering users products from retail stores in an effort to make up for lost ride-sharing revenue.

According to a report from the Financial Times, two new services called Direct and Connect will revive a discontinued offering by Uber from 2015 that allowed users to order products direct to their homes. That service was stopped in 2018 after tepid demand.

Its Direct service allows businesses to partner up with Uber and deliver their goods to consumers quickly. 

Uber will roll out two new services that aim at supplementing its lost ride-sharing revenue called Direct and Connect (stock)

Partners include Cabinet, a New York based company that delivers pharmaceuticals and the Australian pet food supplier Pet Barn.

Connect, however, was more directly born out of obstacles created by COVID-19 related lockdown.

According to Uber, it will now open up its network of drivers to deliver goods from person-to-person through a service called Connect.

The idea is to make it easier to send items like toilet paper or other supplies to a friend across town without having to deliver the items in person. Uber says it plans to roll out the connect service to 25 cities across the US, Mexico, and Australia.

The Financial Times reports that it’s unlikely either service will last once the COVID-19 pandemic is over with 

‘Our primary focus is the immediate: quickly adapting our technology to meet the evolving needs of communities and companies,’ Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told the Financial Times. 

The initiatives are one of several new changes to Uber since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Both Uber and ride-hailing competitor Lyft have both amended their businesses, including the decision to suspend Uber Pool in the US and Canada to help limit the virus’ spread.

The pooled option allows riders to book trips at lower prices by sharing the car with up to three other passengers traveling in the same direction.

However, the ride-sharing giant disabled the option in order to help the public maintain social-distancing during the pandemic.

Regular rides and the firm’s food delivery platform Uber Eats remain available, but Uber said it was in contact with local authorities to adjust operations as needed.

Additionally, Uber joined other car companies in its decision to suspend self-driving rides and tests.