Uber Drops UberEssentials Delivery Service

Uber is shutting down its on-demand product delivery service, UberEssentials.

The company had begun running the pilot program in select areas of Washington, D.C., over the summer before expanding throughout the city by January. Last week, they quietly announced its shuttering.

Uber had initially pitched UberEssentials as a “limited-time-only experiment,” adding, “the more you love it, the more likely it will last.” Despite the program’s demise, Uber continued to put a positive spin on things in a statement to VentureBeat: “What we found with UberEssentials is people loved the convenience of using the Uber platform to get their everyday household products on-demand. The experiment allowed us to identify what our users valued about the service, as well as areas where we can make the experience even better.”

Uber’s next move in the on-demand delivery sector remains unclear.