Uber has quietly begun testing a feature that would allow gig workers to pick up prepaid items from local stores and deliver them to customers in India.
The feature, called “Store Pickup,” debuted in select US cities in December and has now been extended to Delhi-NCR, TechCrunch has learned exclusively. Similar to tracking rides, customers can order pickups and deliveries and track them live through the Uber app.
Uber's in-store pickup is likely to face competition from Indian platforms such as Dunzo, Rapido and Swiggy, which offer similar services that allow customers to pick up packages at local stores. Nevertheless, the latest developments have brought us another option. This suggests that Uber sees a business opportunity in delivering goods from local stores in India, just as it does in the US. This feature will also help Uber further integrate the app into customers' daily lives.
However, the in-store pickup feature has some limitations. For example, an item set for pickup at a local store must weigh no more than 5 kilograms (11 pounds). It can also be worth up to INR 5,000 ($60) and can be claimed without the need for identification or the credit/debit card used for purchase. Users may not request the delivery of alcohol, pharmaceuticals, narcotics, firearms, or “dangerous or illegal items.”
Uber declined to comment.
Uber requires customers to enter their pickup details before starting a delivery. This includes pick-up instructions for the driver, including the name and address of the local store and whether they need to pick up the item at a customer service area. Customers can also upload proof of purchase and add an order confirmation number to ensure the driver completes the pickup.
In addition to in-store pickup, Uber offers a regular Connect feature that allows customers to have packages delivered through the app. However, the store pickup feature is specifically for arranging deliveries from local stores.
Last year, Uber launched curbside pickup in 1,700 U.S. cities and towns, including Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Orange County, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Francisco, and Tampa. Introduced. Bay. The company also offered a similar same-day local delivery feature called UberRush that was available in some markets, but this was discontinued in 2018.