Some of the key features being rolled out this summer will allow shoppers to order place orders after store closing hours, schedule deliveries in advance, select product replacements, order items by weight, and track orders from store shelves all the way to their doorsteps.
The launch of the new features will mark the first major upgrade the company has made to its grocery delivery service since its launch two years ago.
“We feel pretty good about being able to just unlock this new use case with our existing consumer and earner base,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. “We definitely consider this a very large business opportunity.”
Earlier in May, Khosrowshahi had said that while investors were happy with the company’s performance in the grocery sector, he expected the business to grow even faster.
In Q1 of this year, the company’s grocery business generated $2.51 billion in revenue, which was about the same as the company’s revenue from its ride-hailing business.
While the new features are being rolled out in the U.S. market, the company has also been making efforts to establish its roots in international markets. For example, the company acquired a majority stake in Chilean grocery delivery service Cornershop for $1.4 billion in June last year. And then, later in October, the company launched a 15-minute grocery delivery service in Paris.
Globally, Uber now works with some 24,000 grocery stores.
