feReport: Uber Testing Same-Day Delivery For Retailers

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(dsuniaga)

Not content to ferry passengers, packages and food, Uber is reportedly casting its net in the pool of merchant delivery, by taking advantage of both its drivers and its UberRUSH courier service to connect online shoppers with their goods the same day they order them from popular retailers.

You could ostensibly be riding with someone’s hamburger in the back seat with you while another stranger’s shoes are reclining up front, reports TechCrunch: The site says it got its hands on training manuals for its drivers and couriers who will be a part of the merchant delivery pilot program.

Insiders say retailers like Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s and more have discussed being a part of the program, for a total of more than 400 merchants currently talking to Uber about same-day delivery.

Uber issued a statement from a spokesperson to TechCrunch, saying neither yes nor no: “Experimenting and finding new, creative ways for the Uber app to provide even greater value to our riders and driver partners is a way of life at Uber. We have been piloting UberRUSH with multiple retailers for the last year.”

TechCrunch says it’s more than just UberRUSH from what it can see in the documents, with divers and couriers taking orders through a different app than the one used for normal UberRUSH orders. At some point, it appears drivers will be able to carry both humans and Uber Merchant orders through one app.

Uber Is Quietly Testing A Massive Merchant Delivery Program [TechCrunch]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist