When the empty pantry left us feeling dismal, they were there for us. When the long day at work left us too exhausted to cook, their notifications popped up. When we didn’t know who else to turn to in the darkest moments of loadshedding, they were the bike-lit light at the end of the tunnel.
Personal chefs to the nation, if not the world, Uber Eats is the unsung kitchen hero. And now, they’re looking at becoming a virtual mall.
It all started with a new market
After Uber Eats opened its own ‘dark’ grocery store earlier this year (in partnership with the Smart Kitchen Co) its success could only mean one thing —an opportunity had arisen.
Uber Eats had found its own footing as a virtual retailer, instead of just the middleman between your hangriest moments and restaurants.
An expansion only made sense. Now, the companies are rolling out a number of virtual markets all over the country, but that’s not all.
Uber Eats, the Virtual Mall of convenience dreams
Referencing the Mall of Africa, Uber Eats is shooting for the consumer-approved stars and hopes to become its own virtual mall.
Why would consumers opt for a virtual mall instead of a real one? The same reason Checker’s Sixty60 exists; people want quick convenience. However, UberEats has taken things one step further, or quicker.
According to the Head of Grocery and New Verticals for Uber Eats Sub-Saharan Africa, Cikida Gcali-Mabusela; the majority of people who shopped via the dark market got their goods in less than 15 minutes.
Imagine a virtual mall where you could get everything you needed in the same time it takes to have a quick shower?
Now, I know what you’re thinking. What about TakeAlot? Isn’t that a virtual mall?
Essentially yes, but the catch is in the delivery time, a pain point that every clever business is focused on right now. If Uber Eats navigates a way to rapidly decrease delivery times for all kinds of goods beyond food, brick-and-mortar malls might start sweating.
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Feature Image: Alamy
