People generally ride longer distances such as to and from the airport or sometimes the ride gets prolonged due to city traffic. To make this time more productive (from a business point of view) and entertaining for the ride-sharing passengers Uber has launched Cargo Store App a shopping app in collaboration with Cargo. Uber and Cargo first partnered on 19th July 2018 expanding their operations to San Francisco and Los Angeles. The aim was to sell goods to their passengers such as snacks, chocolates, gums, chargers, beverages, and other beauty products from the car console.
Cargo app was first launched in June 2017. Since its launch, it has partnered with a bunch of big industry players such as Grab & Go, Coca Cola, and SeatGeek.
Riders can download the app from the App Store or Google Play Store. After downloading the app riders need to slide into Uber and scan the QR code on Cargo Box. Now the rider can start shopping from the app. Once the purchase is complete Cargo will start shipping the items directly to the rider’s home without any delivery charges within two to five business days.
Riders can also enjoy the in-ride entertainment such as watching movies on Movies Anywhere App from Universal Studios which the riders can purchase between $5 and $10 each or in a bunch for $15 and $20.
From the app, riders can shop Electronic products as wells as Cosmetic products such as:
The only hurdle while using this app is you can only use it when riding Uber. You have to be in the car with a driver who has installed a Cargo console and then you can download the Cargo app to shop. According to Cargo CEO Jeff Cripe, about 30,000 Uber drivers in 10 U.S. cities have downloaded the cargo consoles.
Making a purchase will benefit riders to get 10% value back in the form of Uber Cash which they can utilize on future rides or while shopping on Cargo app during Uber rides.
Whenever the rider purchases from the Cargo Box in-car driver will earn 25% of the total purchase. If the purchase is made for the first time through a new app then the driver will earn extra $1 for each first purchase. Even though shopping costs money it is still a win-win situation for both Riders and Drivers.
According to a survey, millennials in 2019 make 60% of their purchase online. Undoubtedly online shopping is gaining an edge over traditional shopping. This new partnership might help Uber to step into the e-commerce business.