The coronavirus pandemic has made grocery delivery services like Instacart incredibly popular and, in many cases, necessary for those who cannot leave their houses safely. So Uber is now expanding into grocery delivery to capture some of that market. In a press release yesterday, the company announces that “in collaboration with our partner Cornershop, customers in select cities in Latin America and Canada can order groceries through both the Uber and Uber Eats apps.” Later this month, the option will be available in Dallas and Miami, both in states hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, presumably before expanding to other cities.
Uber notes that it has seen orders from grocery and convenience stores “increasing by 197% since March.” Right now, deliveries are happening in partnership with Cornershop, which Uber acquired last year. Uber also recently acquired Postmates in a deal worth $2.65 billion.