Uber Eats has announced 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”.
Users will also be offered item replacements in-app, giving shoppers the chance to pick alternative items for products that are not in stock.
For grocers on the Uber Eats platform, improved capabilities including 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,” will help streamline operations.
The raft of new merchant features won’t be a “new standalone” product, Uber told The Grocer.
“The UK has one of the world’s most sophisticated audiences when it comes to grocery delivery,” Uber Eats UK head of grocery and new verticals Alex Troughton said.
“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.
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.
This feature however is not expected in the UK “for a while” Uber told The Grocer.
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