Uber expands into food delivery as it brings UberEATS to London

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Uber tested food delivery in London previously through deals with Wall’s to deliver ice cream to users of the app. It has previously launched UberEATS in 16 other cities including Atlanta, Singapore, Paris, San Francisco and Toronto.

Starting today, Londoners can download the UberEATS app, sign in using their existing Uber account or create new one, and order local food in a similar manner to ordering an Uber car. Restaurants that have signed up to the service so far include The Good Life Eatery, Hotbox, Chilango, Pho, Comptoir Libanais and Snog.

The service will initially be available in Central London from 11am to 11pm, seven days a week. However, UberEATS is planning to expand its delivery area and add more restaurants in the coming weeks.

There is currently no above the line marketing activity planned around the service, but a spokesperson for Uber told Marketing Week that it will be promoting it on social and market UberEATS to the two million regular users of the main Uber app in London.

Speaking on the new service, Alex Czarnecki, general manager of UberEATS in London, says: “We’re really excited to be launching in London – one of the food capitals of the world. The UberEATS app has been a huge success in every city we’ve launched in and we think Londoners will love it too.”

Jo Bertram, Uber’s regional general manager in the UK, adds: “People love being able to push a button to book a car and now they can order great food with us too. We’ll bring lunch, treats and dinner to Londoners with the same choice, convenience and value we’re already known for.”

Besides providing Londoners with another way to buy food, UberEATS also aims to give restaurants an opportunity to expand their businesses and reach a new network of potential customers.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with UberEATS. The really exciting thing is to be able to break free from the constraints of our restaurants, so we can reach new people, create more raving fans, and further grow our business,” says Eric Partaker, co-founder of Chilango.

Toby Pickard, senior retail analyst for multichannel at IGD, says the launch will see the brand go head-to-head with established meal delivery services such as Deliveroo and Just Eat. However, he believes the proposition will have to be “compelling” in order to convert shoppers.

“With the recent launch of AmazonFresh in 69 London postcodes and a number of established players already in this market, the proposition from UberEATS will need to be compelling in order to convert shoppers.

“What UberEATS will need to do is ensure that it is able to partner the foodservice providers shoppers want to purchase from, as well as maintain its proposition that it ‘delivers the best meals from favorite local restaurants in 10 minutes or less’ at a price that is competitive.”