Uber’s Food Delivery Business Surpasses Ride-hailing: Are Food Delivery Apps Becoming Inevitable?

When one says Uber, the first thing that pops up in your head is Taxis. The company that steered the on-demand revolution has been one of the highest-grossing companies ever since its inception. With Uber’s on-demand model transcending boundaries, Uber never failed to experiment in other sectors as well. While some initiatives like UberRUSH did not go as per execution, Uber’s Food delivery unit, UberEats, has been a massive hit among the audience.

The COVID-19 pandemic has restricted people’s movements and hence taxis as well. In view of keeping its business afloat, Uber turned its attention towards the thriving food delivery startup, UberEats. It is evident that Uber’s strategy is shifting, and numbers indicate that UberEats is now bigger than the core ride-hailing segment, Uber.

Is COVID-19 propelling the need for food delivery apps? Is launching an UberEats clone beneficial and profitable amid the current market trends? Explore more to find out why an UberEats clone app can be the ideal way out.

Let’s crunch some Numbers

Uber reported a net loss of $1.78 billion in Q2 of 2020. The majority of Uber’s revenue comes from two sources - Mobility (Ride-hailing) & Delivery (food delivery). According to Uber, here’s how the two divisions fared in the second quarter of 2020.

From the gross bookings point-of-view,

• The mobility division generated $3.05 billion in gross bookings. Contrastingly, the delivery unit reached a substantial amount of $6.95 billion in the same period.

From the adjusted net revenue angle,

• The delivery unit yielded $885 million, while the core mobility division fell short, generating $793 million in the same period.

However, from the EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) perspective,

• Uber’s ride-hailing segment witnessed an adjusted profit of $50 million. Contrastingly, the food delivery unit recorded an adjusted loss of $232 million.

UberEats leads Uber’s core taxi division in two aspects - Gross bookings & Adjusted net revenue.

What is more interesting is the fact that Uber’s ride-hailing division outplayed the food delivery unit comprehensively in gross bookings, net revenue & EBITDA in Q1 of 2020.

It is pretty apparent that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the paradigm shift in Uber’s approach and strategies.

As far as the numbers are concerned, Delivery is beating Mobility due to various befitting reasons.

Launching a food delivery app

A food delivery app can be an ideal way to bridge the gap between people in need and restaurants. Restaurants face a rough patch due to the elimination of dine-ins as a measure to curb disease spread. On the other hand, people are stranded in their homes, and they expect to satisfy their taste buds every once in a while. By leveraging the online medium, an entrepreneur can benefit the entire ecosystem and yield unrestricted revenue in the shortest possible time. UberEats’s growth and the emergence of new players are concrete examples of the fact that the food delivery market thrives amid the lockdown situation.

Addressing the COVID-19 issue

While launching a food delivery app is more comfortable with the advent of clone app solutions, safeguarding the entire ecosystem lies in the hands of entrepreneurs who implement safety strategies. Some of the COVID-19 safety add-ons to integrate into the UberEats clone include,

• Encouraging contactless delivery options
• Face mask recognition software
• Disabling Cash on Delivery (CoD)
• High-touch surface information
• Safety ratings & reviews
• Safety badges
• Knowledge banners
• Incorporating the takeaway option

Conclusion

The pandemic situation has made entrepreneurs retake their business decisions when it comes to investing in on-demand startups. Initiating an on-demand food delivery app development is crucial in the ‘new’ normal as people prefer ordering food from the comfort of their homes.