Uber grocery delivery launches in Latin America and Canada, US to follow later this month

A day after acquiring Postmates for $2.65 billion, Uber has officially launched grocery delivery in select Latin American and Canadian cities. The initiative is the product of the also recently announced acquisition of Cornershop (still pending regulatory approval), back in late-2019. The Santiago, Chile-based startup brought grocery delivery to the Latin American market before moving north to Toronto.

Today’s launch covers 19 cities in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia and Peru, and is set to expand to the U.S. market at some point later this month — specifically to Miami and Dallas. Members of Eats Pass and Uber Eats in those two cities will also get free grocery deliveries on orders topping $30.

Grocery delivery has become an important lifeline for many, as COVID-19 has made shopping or simply leaving the house a calculated risk. The company says demand for grocery delivery has increased 197% since March.

“Over the last six months, it’s become increasingly clear that grocery delivery is not only popular, but often a necessity,” Uber writes. “We expect to see this trend continue as people across the world look for new ways to save time and stay safe.”

Likely the surge in popularity will wane a bit as coronavirus-related restrictions are eased, but many customers may never look back after discovering the ease of delivery. The new offering operates similarly to Uber’s other services. You do your ordering from the app and can track the driver’s progress accordingly. There’s also a no-contact option, which is all the rage in the era of COVID-19.

Following the limited launch this month, Uber will be bringing the service to additional cities around the world in “the coming months.”