The grocery store opened its virtual doors in August 2022 piloting in some areas of Cape Town, and is now available in nine locations across Johannesburg and Cape Town offering grocery items, such as alternative dairy products and meats, that customers would normally find in a commercial store.

“We decided to work with Smart Kitchen Co. to allow us to offer a wider selection to meet the ever-changing needs of consumers. We also wanted to trial an initiative that would truly allow us to experiment and tap into the power of the platform to enable a better grocery shopping experience,” said Cikida Gcali-Mabusela, general manager for grocery and new verticals for Uber Eats sub-Saharan Africa.

“Since going live on the app, the store has become the highest-performing non-restaurant store on the app, with 149% growth month on month. User response is a testament that consumers appreciate the convenience of getting anything they need within minutes at the touch of a button,” she said.

The delivery company described the move as its debut into quick commerce, and Gcali-Mabusela noted that the quick commerce trend has seen explosive growth worldwide in recent years, and is now taking off in South Africa. She is confident that Uber Eats can be a key driver of this growth as the company gears itself to be a “leading delivery platform” by embracing the shift to a virtual mall concept in the country.

Diversifying driver earnings: R1.9m from top box advertising

In addition to announcing its Uber Eats Market strategy, the company also published the results of its 2022 Earners Survey, which showed that 88% of delivery people use the platform as a primary source of earnings. According to the report, the two main reasons why drivers choose to operate their business on the Uber Eats App include the flexibility and freedom that comes with being an independent contractor (86%); and the economic opportunity it brings (65%).

Charles Mhango, head of operations for Uber Eats sub-Saharan Africa said, “The feedback from delivery people is one of our biggest sources to understanding the realities that they face. It also helps us to be responsive in a way that is meaningful to them.

Courtesy of Bizcommunity – read full article here.