Dive Brief:
- In the midst of the holiday shopping season, Uber announced on-demand delivery partnerships with retailers Pacsun, Camping World and Lush last week, according to a press release.
- Consumers can now shop and order products from hundreds of stores operated by the three retailers through the company’s Uber, Uber Eats and Postmates apps.
- The move is part of a broader effort by Uber to expand its delivery offerings beyond food and into more discretionary categories, including apparel, beauty and outdoor gear.
Dive Insight:
The addition of Pacsun, Camping World and Lush to Uber’s on-demand delivery platform is just one piece of the ride-share app’s aim to gain a foothold in retail delivery.
“As we expand retail delivery across Uber and Uber Eats, we’re making it easier than ever for customers to discover and shop the brands they love — all in one place — while also demonstrating our ability to support an increasingly diverse range of retail partners,” Hashim Amin, Uber’s head of retail for North America, said in a statement. “From fashion at Pacsun to outdoor gear at Camping World and self-care favorites at Lush, Uber is becoming a seamless shopping destination for whatever customers need, whenever they need it.”
Recently there’s been a proliferation of third-party delivery companies partnering with brands and retailers to offer shoppers another way to make purchases.
Family Dollar last month partnered with DoorDash to offer on-demand service through about 7,000 of its stores. Rival Dollar General tapped Uber Eats in August to offer its delivery service through about 14,000 Dollar General and Popshelf stores.
While discount stores offer many grocery products and household essentials, nonessential retailers have also been getting in on the same-day delivery trend, especially with the holidays in mind. As of November, Old Navy and DoorDash partnered to offer same-day delivery of apparel through 1,000 stores, including denim, activewear and holiday-themed pajamas. A recent deal between Uber Eats and Best Buy, meanwhile, provides delivery of electronics, appliances and gaming items from over 800 stores.
Home Depot, which has been working to expand same-day delivery nationwide for years, partnered with both Uber Eats and DoorDash early this year, about a year after expanding an effort with Instacart on delivering big and bulky items.
