It had been coming for a while, of course, but the gate is now really off the hook: Uber will launch a large-scale delivery service in the autumn. The startup will handle delivery for major retailers and fashion brands.
Uber's delivery service will make its debut in New York, on posh Fifth Avenue. Soon after, it will expand to San Francisco. It also wants to eventually start delivering for smaller retail chains.
Unfair competition transport industry?
The question is how the transport industry will react to this development. Earlier, Uber managed to anger taxi drivers. According to the taxi industry, there would be fair competition. Taxi drivers are forced to abide by all sorts of rules, whereas until recently Uber drivers could do whatever they wanted.
Read also: Does partial logistics have a future in the Netherlands?
No professional delivery drivers
A striking detail is that Uber will simply continue to use private delivery drivers, i.e. no professional staff. It already does that with its taxi service, but the question is whether consumers also trust their parcels to 'regular' delivery drivers. Indeed, US research shows that consumers prefer not to open the door to delivery drivers wearing their casual clothes, and consumers are also afraid that the contents of their parcel will be stolen or broken. Only 12 per cent of respondents said they did not object to delivery drivers without uniforms.
200,000 drivers
Uber currently "employs" more than 200,000 drivers. Now these drivers are only used for the company's taxi service. The drivers use their own transport. Consumers can choose which driver they want to get in the car with. It is still unclear whether this option can also be used with Uber's delivery service.
Editorial LogistiekProfs
