Uber has been expanding its operations with more emphasis on delivering nonfood items. Bringg has been providing delivery management platforms for retail customers around the world, but is always on the hunt for more delivery capacity to improve the experience.
On Monday, the two companies joined forces to launch a new delivery service in France through Uber Direct. The partnership allows customers in that country to order items from participating retailers through Uber’s on-demand white-label delivery service.
“We are excited about partnering once again with industry giant Uber,” said Guy Bloch, CEO of Bringg. “Online businesses are waking up to the fact that maximizing efficiencies and lowering delivery costs are critical factors in the customer journey. Retailers must concentrate on delivering the best experience possible, even when the market is unpredictable and competition is fierce. Bringg and Uber Direct France can provide new delivery options to the French market to address these challenges today and in the future.”
Merchants will receive delivery tracking and security features as well as competitive pricing for delivery services. Between 80% and 90% of customers say that a poor delivery experience will turn them off to a brand for future purchases.
“Bringg and Uber Direct France working together will be a force to reckon with in the delivery and fulfillment industry,” said Bastien Pahus, general manager of Uber Eats France, Switzerland and Belgium. “Leveraging Bringg’s market-leading innovation and customer-first outlook will strengthen and grow our market presence in the French market and emphasize the importance of last-mile delivery.”
Uber Direct (NYSE: UBER) allows businesses to leverage Uber’s network of delivery drivers to transport items. It is part of Uber’s growing delivery segment, which saw active merchants grow 12% year over year (y/y) in the second quarter to more than 843,000. Overall, gross bookings in the delivery segment grew 12% y/y to $13.9 billion with revenue of $2.7 billion.
Bringg is working to democratize the last mile. At the end of August, the company announced a collaboration with WorkWhile, an hourly labor technology platform, to launch the Driver Network. A collection of gig economy drivers made available to businesses looking for last-mile delivery drivers on a daily basis, the Driver Network is designed to make it easier for businesses to attract the capacity they need.
“The last mile is the most expensive mile,” Bloch told Modern Shipper at Home Delivery World in Philadelphia, where the announcement was made. “We do all this because customers want to buy where it’s convenient, where it’s fast, and if you don’t do that, they buy from someone else.”
In the U.K.,Bringg is working with technology partner Blue Yonder to streamline that retailer’s omnichannel supply chain. The collaboration with Uber in France is another step in providing the capacity necessary to prevent that.
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