New​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Delivery Option for Shopify Merchants

Shopify Plus retailers, the platform’s enterprise tier for high-volume sellers, can now enjoy a new delivery option, Uber Direct. With this option, a quick delivery service can be offered by merchants to customers directly at checkout without the need of building their own logistics system.

Uber Direct is a solution that can be used for one-hour, same-day, and scheduled deliveries in the markets of the United States, Canada, and France. Merchants are free to integrate Uber’s delivery services in their processes of ecommerce.

Why This Matters for Retailers

Delivering the goods on the very same day of an order has already ceased to be a luxury, it has become the standard that customers demand in most cases, particularly during holidays and special occasions. The problem, however, lies with the fact that constructing a delivery network entails a costly and complicated process. By releasing Uber Direct, the company spares retailers the necessity to manage fleets, dispatch systems, or tracking tools, while at the same time, the retailers gain access to Uber’s already established infrastructure.

It is emphasized that such an opportunity would mean the most during the shopping peak times when consumers are looking for last-minute gifts or items they want to be rapidly delivered such as flowers and chocolates.

Benefits for Merchants and Customers

The integration of the new Uber delivery system can be an effective tool in the hands of merchants to not only increase consumer loyalty, sales, and even reduce the rate of cart abandonment due to slow shipping times but also for customers, in turn, to gain more purchasing options and faster delivery at the very time of buying.

Industry Context and Competition

Such a move by Shopify Plus comes in an extremely competitive environment around the ecommerce sector. Besides Amazon and Walmart which are the industry leaders and still putting a lot of money into speeding up and making their fulfillment processes more efficient, the partnership of Shopify Plus with Uber is a good enough reason for smaller merchants not to lose competition with them even though they cannot afford the same infrastructure costs.

Retailers who are in a position to offer their customers an option of faster delivery can be more confident in their ability of retaining customers and winning the preference of the market in an environment where convenience is one of the major factors influencing the decision to ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌buy.