- São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre and Salvador will be the first regions where Uber Flash operates;
- The acquisition of Latin American grocery delivery startup Cornershop is a key move to global Uber results.
Uber is launching its new service Uber Flash in Brazil this week, nearly a month after rolling out the feature, that allows customers to receive or send packages, in other Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Costa Rica.
From Monday, 11, onwards, Brazilian users will be able to request Uber Flash trips to send items in five different cities (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre and Salvador). The price charged for the service is the same as for UberX.
“The launch is part of our efforts to accelerate the development of solutions that respond to the impacts brought about by the pandemic. With Uber Flash, we want to help people stay connected, even from a distance,” says Claudia Woods, general director of Uber in Brazil.
On Uber Flash, users can request drivers to transport objects such as packages, gifts, documents and other personal items, of medium or small sizes, and which can be safely accommodated in the vehicle’s trunk.
Last week Uber has released its global first-quarter results. As expected, the demand for the ride operation fell strongly (80% in April), but Uber Eats operations revealed itself as the company’s safe port during COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
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The acquisition of Latin American grocery delivery startup Cornershop is a key move to make Eats grow even more. The startup, headquartered in Chile, was founded in 2015 by OskarHjertonsson, DanielUndurraga, and JuanPabloCuevas, and now operates in Chile, Mexico, Peru, Brazil (9 cities: São Paulo, Osasco, Barueri, Santo André, São Bernardo, São Caetano, Porto Alegre, Curitiba e Rio de Janeiro), Canada (Toronto) and, most recently, the U.S. (Miami and Dallas). The deal is still subject to regulatory approval in each of these countries.
