Uber has partnered with Office Depot to bring on-demand office and school supplies to the Uber Eats platform. It is the taxi company’s latest attempt to diversify its delivery options beyond takeaway and groceries.
Starting today, Uber Eats customers can place orders at 900 Office Depot and OfficeMax locations across the country. “From ink and toner to backpacks, binders and more, consumers can purchase thousands of items and have them delivered right to their door,” the company says.
In addition, members of Uber’s monthly subscription service, Uber One, receive special benefits such as free delivery and a 5 percent discount on all orders with a minimum purchase of $15.
Uber has been pushing new delivery categories for several years now, as it looks to broaden its selections to better compete with rivals like DoorDash, Grubhub and Instacart, as well as the new crop of ultra-fast grocery startups like Gopuff and Fridge No Meer. (Although the time may have passed for those companies already.)
To drive the expansion of grocery delivery, Uber has acquired a number of smaller startups in recent months, including Postmates, Cornershop and drizzly. The company also partnered with Gopuff, which specializes in providing “essential” or “immediate” items such as spirits, beauty and pet products, snacks, and over-the-counter medicines.
Using Uber the old-fashioned way — to get a ride somewhere — is more expensive than ever. Fares are up a whopping 40 percent, but the company also recently reported $382 million in free cash flow for the first time, an indication that the rideshare company’s “hardcore” effort to keep costs in check is beginning to pay off. even in the midst of a cooling economy.
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