Uber announced that Connect, its package delivery line of business, has completed two years of operations, helping deliver packages across 23 cities and driving growth for many small businesses around the country. Altogether total deliveries through Uber Connect over a period of last two years have covered a distance enough to circumnavigate earth over 1,100 times.
The product, launched in 2020 during the nationwide lockdown, was initially intended to help people deliver packages safely while staying within the comfort of their homes. The testing times the country faced during those days meant Connect was used by people to deliver essentials such as medicines, groceries, and also by small home-run businesses to send packages to their customers.
The business has shown greatly increased acceptance from customers since its launch, with deliveries in May ‘22 being 95% higher than the same period last year. Over the two years, Uber Connect has widened its scope, too, serving as a lifeline for many small businesses, including pharmacies, boutiques, art suppliers, and photocopiers, among others. Customers have voiced their choice of Uber Connect as their delivery service owing to its reliable delivery, at most affordable prices.
Commenting on the milestone, Nitish Bhushan, Director, Central Operations, Uber India and South Asia said, ‘’We are thrilled and take pride to have hit the 2-year milestone for Uber Connect. This service helps move what matters, for individuals and businesses. Uber Connect is a prime example of how we are adapting our platform to meet the needs of our communities and is also an extension of our ongoing efforts to provide driver partners with new earning opportunities.”
Some interesting trends:
- Average distance covered for Uber Connect deliveries – 10.4km
- Average distance covered during lockdowns – 9.3km
- Time when Uber Connect has the highest demand – 12 PM – 3 PM
- Cities that send most Uber Connect packages at night (post 10 PM) – Hyderabad > Delhi > Kolkata
- Day of the week with the highest demand for Uber Connect (pan India) – Wednesday
- Day of the week with the highest demand (citywide):
- Bangalore – Tuesday
- Delhi – Thursday
- Chennai – Saturday
- Mumbai – Thursday
- Kolkata – Thursday
Uber Connect has progressively been witnessing a higher share of business users as compared to lockdowns. The service now also provides customers the option of choosing between Doorstep delivery and Curbside delivery, while also offering them a choice of making payment via cash. Listening to feedback from customers, Uber Connect now also allows concurrent deliveries, which is booking a second delivery before the first has been completed.
Getting started with Uber Connect is easy:
- Download the app – Get the free Uber app from the App Store or Google Play on your smartphone and open the app to create your account
- After adding your pickup and delivery address, Uber Connect will appear in the Uber app as a new option in the vehicle selection scroller
- You’ll be prompted to agree to package delivery T&Cs, and confirm that your item complies with those terms and request delivery
- You’ll receive a notification once the driver is on their way to pick up your package. You can contact the driver directly for any special pickup or drop-off instructions
- You can use the “Share My Trip” feature with your recipient so they can track the delivery and meet the driver to collect the package.
