Uber has announced one of the biggest changes to its app in its 15-year history as it attempts to become the dominant “app for everything”.
In a massive move out of cars and shopping, some users will soon be able to book hotels just as they now order food.
But talking to news.com.au at the company’s annual showcase in New York, an Uber executive didn’t deny there was more to come – the firm has hinted you might soon have the ability to book a flight as easily as you book a ride.
The company has also revealed it knows users are “hacking” the app – but rather than crack down, it has actually welcomed it and made the bug a feature.
In addition, it looks like the separate Uber Eats app is becoming increasingly redundant.
On Wednesday, US time, in the shadow of New York’s World Trade Centre and just metres away from where King Charles was about to turn up to commemorate 9/11, Uber held its annual Go-Get event.
Go-Get is where the US technology firm unveils its latest innovations to woo customers – including those in Australia.
Uber’s Vice President of Product Amit Fulay told news.com.au that Australia was “right up there” for the company.
“Australia is one of our biggest regions, we love Australia,” he said.
Which might not be surprising given Uber has no competitors in Australia to hassle it with the heft of Lyft, a major ride rival in the US, and it has benefited from the demise of food delivery firm Menulog.
‘Everything app’
The overarching message from the New York event was Uber’s desire to become an “everything app”.
“We are drowning in this endless sea of apps and sites and notifications all over the place,” Uber Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said.
“What if we could spare you the time and the misery of visiting a dozen different websites and apps and give you more of your time back?
“Uber is now an app for everything, where you can go, you can get and now you can travel.”
Uber’s jostling to be the one app to rule them all has a head start. In Australia, it’s estimated to have a near 60 per cent share of food deliveries and 80 per cent for rides.
Now, in the US to begin, it wants to be a portal for hotel bookings.
It’s new “Hotels on Uber” feature links to Expedia’s 700,000 properties globally allowing users to get a room, a ride to the room and maybe even a burger to devour in the room waiting a reception for when you arrive. All on the one app.
Mr Fulay said Uber was using Expedia because it saved Uber having to “rebuild the experience” – essentially finding and listing all the hotels itself.
That means Expedia will be befitting financially from Uber leveraging its database, although Mr Fulay declined to reveal to news.com.au how much it was paying the travel giant for that access.
Flights on Uber hint
What you won’t be able to do on Uber is that other thing Expedia is known for: flights.
Given you book cars on the app, booking a plane seems like a natural extension.
Was Uber thinking of extending Hotel on Uber to a future Flights on Uber?
Mr Fulay was circumspect but did not deny aeroplanes were on his agenda.
“Nothing is announced right now,” he told news.com.au, somewhat ambiguously.
Hotels on Uber won’t be available in Australia just yet. But it’s held out the possibility of it being introduced Down Under at a later date.
Innovations that will soon land in Australia include a redesigned app search bar which will “connect the dots” from what you type in and direct you to food, rides or shopping.
That essentially means the need for separate Uber apps is further diminished – there is simply no need any longer to have more than a single Uber app on your phone. Although Uber has not suggested it’s in a hurry to nix the UberEats interface.
Australia will also get “travel mode” which will allow people to book restaurant reservations through the app, get food delivered to hotels and provide guides to get you through busy airports.
While from June, Uber subscription members will earn credits when using the app aboard.
‘Hack’ that turned into a feature
At the New York event, Uber said it had turned an unexpected hack of the app into a feature.
The “courier” tab was designed for people to order a ride to pick up an item and deliver it to someone – perhaps a spare pair of keys or a package.
“But lately, people have been going to ‘courier’ and typing in instructions like, ‘hey, can you just buy this for me,’ and I’ll reimburse you?’” senior manager at Uber Rebecca Payne said.
“So, they’re hacking our product, and we love it because it says that there’s a need that we aren’t fully meeting.
“People don’t want us to just get things; they want us to go buy things for them and take even more off of their to-do list.”
Maybe put another way, Uber’s new “Shop for Me” function is a personal shopper.
It’s particularly good at smaller stores that don’t have a presence on Uber – a local garden centre or gift store maybe.
The idea is you type in a description of an item that might be found at a particular shop, state a price range and maybe add a photo of something similar or indeed the item itself. A red vase for under $50 perhaps.
The Uber shopper can send messages and images back and forth until you decide on the right item. They then buy it, deliver it and the cost goes on your card.
Like the hotels function, Shop for Me is not available in Australia yet. The firm wants to prove that what is a logistically more complex transaction can actually work in the real world.
For now, Uber suggests Australians try its store pick up service where you buy a click and collect product via the retailer’s website and an Uber driver will retrieve and deliver it to you.
Australia may have to wait for Uber personal shoppers, Uber hotels – and maybe Uber flights if they eventuate. But if Uber really does want to become the “everything app” for retail and travel those innovations can’t be far away.
