Uber’s getting creative this holiday season with a range of app updates, new offerings and gift functions that are tailored to generate more holiday orders in a range of different verticals.
Beyond updates to the ridesharing side of its business, Uber has partnered with event platform Viator and OpenTable to bring more tourist attractions and restaurants to its app.
On Uber Eats, the company has created a Holiday Shop that allows customers to order from Walgreens, Albertsons, Total Wine and “thousands more” to help customers coordinate grocery, convenience and alcohol orders throughout the holiday season.
The Holiday Shop has a particular focus on alcohol, as Uber has made it easier to search more merchants to instantly compare price and delivery times, as well as requesting custom orders from certain merchants.
To send gifts across longer distances, Uber Connect has new features that allow users to send multiple packages at once, to different destinations, with the ability to verify package arrival with proof of delivery.
That pairs with new functionality allowing customers to “make it a gift” when they’re checking out from restaurants and other merchants in 10,000 cities across the world. This means that you can make any order a gift through Uber Eats, and gift givers can have custom messages and tracking info sent right to the recipient’s phone.
All of this Uber gifting includes Go/Get gift cards for last-minute additions that can be redeemed immediately for rides and deliveries. Users can use the new schedule feature to send those gifts out at a specific moment for ideal gift-giving timing.
