The partnership makes Uber Direct available to Shopify Plus merchants in the U.S., Canada, and France, allowing them to embed delivery offerings into their checkout, Uber said in a Wednesday (Dec. 10) news release.
“Through a first-of-its-kind integration, Uber Direct for Shopify brings Uber’s one-hour, same-day, and scheduled delivery network directly into the Shopify ecosystem,” Uber said. “All without the need for retailers to build their own fleets, manage dispatch logic, or build new tracking tools—just faster, more reliable fulfillment that matches how customers want to shop.”
The release notes that while most shoppers now expect same day delivery, and return to merchants that offer shorter delivery windows, most retailers find managing the last-mile both costly and complicated.
Uber argued the new delivery capability presents “significant sales opportunities during key moments,” such as last minute gifts, spontaneous purchases and items like flowers and chocolate that require extra care. It’s also a valuable tool for shoppers who have missed holiday shipping deadlines but still want to give a meaningful gift.
“Uber Direct is designed to help merchants meet customers where they are. Our integration with Shopify will give Shopify Plus merchants a new way to keep their direct connection with customers and stay competitive—without the cost or complexity of building delivery operations from scratch,” said Bernie Huddlestun, head of Uber Direct. “By partnering with Shopify, we’re excited to help retailers strengthen customer relationships and unlock new revenue—especially during peak moments when speed matters most.”
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In other ecommerce delivery news, PYMNTS wrote last week about Walmart and Amazon’s efforts to redefine their shopping services.
“The defining retail battle of the 21st century has been around who controls the flow between click and doorstep,” that report said. “This has made the real competition less about shelves and inventory, and more about operational networks and their nodes.”
This came following the news that Amazon was re-evaluating its relationship with the U.S. Postal Service, though the report also focused on Walmart’s reexamination of its playbook.
“Once the poster child of sprawling suburban supercenters, it now sees opportunity in a very different retail paradigm: urban consumers with rising incomes and a preference for convenience and speed,” PYMNTS wrote.
During a recent earnings conference call, CFO John David Rainey confirmed that the retailer is testing “dark-store” formats in dense urban neighborhoods, designed solely to fulfill e-commerce orders for delivery or pickup.
This will allow Walmart “to overcome the logistical and zoning challenges that have historically prevented successful urban supercenter expansion,” PYMNTS added.
