Uber’s New Update Gives Food Delivery As Much Attention As Transportation

Uber is quietly rolling out an update today where Uber Eats (Uber’s prepared food delivery service available in NYC, Los Angeles, Toronto, Austin, Chicago, and Barcelona) is getting a major facelift.

First noticed by analysts at Cowen, the update changes where Uber Eats is listed in the app. While previously bundled in with options like UberX and UberPOOL, Uber Eats is now a separate button at the top of the screen, completely independent of transportation.

While the move doesn’t change any of the actual functionality of Uber Eats, it definitely shows that the company is getting serious about food delivery.

This move by Uber could be an another attempt to get more users to try Eats, especially those who may not have previously noticed the feature.

Notably, the company is offering free delivery in NYC all month long (normally a $4 charge), which seems like it will help entice users to try the service.

As we’ve written about before, a large part of Uber’s future success (and valuation) depends on its ability to turn its drivers into a delivery fleet. The first step is naturally expanding its own in-house delivery product, even if it is just to show retailers that it can achieve fast and reliable delivery at scale.

When asked for comment, an Uber spokesperson said the following about the new feature. “The new interface is available in UberEats cities. The layout separates RIDES from EATS and creates a more seamless, intuitive experience across services. We are always experimenting to find new, creative ways to make the Uber app more user friendly.”