- Uber Eats is looking to solve last-minute Christmas shopping problems
- New ordering tools allow for order editing, replacement preferences, and even purchasing actual gifts
- The British apparently order huge quantities of Christmas food in the last hour
Uber Eats hopes to take the stress out of last-minute grocery orders or panicked gift shopping this Christmas.
The delivery app has unveiled a host of useful new features, including the ability to add items or edit quantities at any time before a delivery arrives, along with a feature that allows users to specify exactly what kind of item swaps they want to allow.
But that’s not all – Uber Eats is also looking to position itself as a shopping destination, with a new Gifting Hub offering users a range of last-minute options.
Uber Eats saves Christmas
Uber Eats says the new features were influenced by the huge spikes it saw in last-minute ordering last Christmas, as desperate hosts or partygoers searched for vital items or presented ideas.
The company hopes its new on-demand gift hub, with partners such as Boots and John Lewis, will be a one-stop shop for last-minute gifts ranging from cards and candles to perfume, prosecco and even AirPods, delivered straight to your door.
The company says shoppers ordered a bottle of Baileys to their door every 20 seconds last Christmas Eve and, amazingly, users even searched for over three tonnes of Turkey on Christmas Day itself.
The new live order editing feature will let users change items or quantities right up until the moment your shopper adds them to the cart, meaning there’s no need to cancel or start a new order.
Store staff can also now collect goods for multiple orders at once using a new batch picking tool, meaning they can organize ‘batch picking’ by each section of the store and make the packing process more efficient.
We’ve all dealt with frustratingly bad replacements in an online store, but the new replacement preferences feature will let users decide exactly what kind of alternative they prefer, with smart suggestions offered based on price and previous orders, and choices saved for future orders.
“Christmas is a magical time, but it can also be incredibly hectic,” noted Katie Hunter, General Manager of Grocery & Retail at Uber Eats UK.
“Uber Eats helps customers get what they need, when and where they need it, whether you’re cooking for ten, rushing to a party or buying the perfect gifts. We’re also committed to helping our retail partners grow during this critical period with the tools, insights and technology to help them stay competitive and deliver a seamless on-demand experience.”
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