Uber Eats is stepping up moves into online grocery deliveries as the coronavirus continues to spread worldwide, stifling rideshare demand and crippling supermarkets, according to a Financial Times report on Wednesday (April 1).
Uber is in talks with French supermarket Carrefour as it seeks partnerships with grocery retailers from Brazil to France. The rideshare and food delivery giant is looking to roll out a boutique delivery service that will bring necessities to people in 30 minutes.
The company already dipped its toe in the grocery delivery arena with a trial in Australia in 2019. It’s stepping up the move in light of the demand created by the global pandemic.
Carrefour deliveries groceries in partnership with the Spanish start-up Glovo. With the Uber Eats collaboration, it will make deliveries from 15 stores around Paris, bringing people meat, fruit, vegetables and other staples.
Uber is also planning to deliver food items from gas station convenience stores in Spain and teamed up with the Portuguese energy group Galp.
Starting in São Paulo, Uber is planning to deliver goods to Brazil from drug stores and pet shops.
The services will not only be offered via the Uber Eats app but also by phone for those without access to a smartphone or internet access.
“Over-the-counter medicines will be available from the Pague Menos chain of pharmacies, grocery products from Shell Select convenience stores and pet supplies from Cobasi — one of the largest pet shop chains in the country,” an Uber Eats spokesperson told reporters in a statement. “The new services will be available on the Uber Eats app, with plans to launch in other Brazil states and cities in the coming weeks.”
Uber Eats also said that it was looking into forming partnerships with more grocery merchants worldwide.
In July, Uber announced it was looking into grocery delivery and was in talks with the second-largest grocery chain in the U.K., Sainsbury’s.
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