Foodie culture has been blossoming during the boom of the shared economy. With apps popping up on smartphone devices everyday, it is the success of Uber Eats that has really been notable for food lovers and app developers alike.
While plenty of people will have come across the app courtesy of a friend referral, catching a driver approach the checkout window or seeing the product pop up on movies and television shows, few have stopped to consider how this popularity emerged.
The Uber enterprise would be the basis for Uber Eats to ultimately expand into new markets. Their net worth of approximately $75 billion on the exchange has given them the capital and liquidity to turn a spinoff concept into an multi-billion dollar enterprise.
That intervention into the taxi industry has been controversial since their introduction in March of 2009, beginning a peer-to-peer ridesharing model that has forever changed the landscape. The food component would simply be an extension of this framework, empowering the San Francisco giant to tap into the public demand for a quality food delivery service.
The fact remains that consumers trust the word of other consumers when it comes to the quality of food and restaurant service. This is where Uber Eats has won over a large section of the market, giving communities a chance to identify top outlets in their area.
Why rely on in-house marketing messages when the ratings and comments left by others will do the homework for them? That major change in consumer behavior has been a driving factor in the explosion of the app from the US and abroad.
Bypassing full table allocations is where Uber Eats becomes a major asset for smartphone users. In today’s climate, no one has to miss out on their favorite meal when all of the tables have been booked ahead of time.
This gives singles, families and businesses a chance to eat and cater their own events regardless of the restaurant’s popularity. No longer does commercial space or table quantities provide a barrier to further sales now that they just require a couple of taps of the phone.
What shoppers find right away is that they can essentially order anything they want from Uber Eats. Have an appetite for some cheap fast food courtesy of McDonalds or KFC? Perhaps there is a local delicatessen serving up some delicious cold cuts or a Michelin star restaurant offering takeaway orders?
Everyone from the major fast food chains to the small corner stores and exquisite eateries understand that registering through this service gives them wider access to more consumers.
Uber Eats works off a 25% model that allows their drivers to get paid while taking a quarter of their income per order made. Drivers are able to enjoy 100% of their tips that are left by customers when they are satisfied with excellent service. Yet their process will incorporate a pickup fee and the distance travelled from the provider of the food to the client.
It is undeniable that this approach has been controversial when it comes to the rights and entitlements of the drivers. It has been a regular talking point that continues to pressure the company to adapt their model, offering an insight for other peer-to-peer food delivery services to adapt their financial structure.
Thankfully the Uber Eats app is 100% free to download and utilize, giving community members a chance to tap into their resources without having to spend a dime from the outset. Their revenue will be made once the orders start to flood in and customers get comfortable with the program.
