Uber, the ride-hailing company, recently announced that they would launch a host of new features, and the most exciting new addition to their suite of services is that you can now book a vaccination appointment at Walgreens through the app.
Not only that, but you can also reserve a ride with Uber to go to your nearest Walgreens to get the shot. Uber is hoping to rake in some good profits with this new business model. Your search for an easier way to get a vaccination is now here.
A ‘Go Get’ Strategy
According to Uber, the newly announced features is part of their “go get” strategy. This comes after the fourteen months of shutdowns triggered by the global pandemic. The other features that come along with the vaccine booking feature are valet service, reserved airport rides that come with a maximum of one hour of waiting time, picking up food en route to your destination, to name a few. As you can understand, most services focus on ride-hailing – the core service of Uber. However, vaccine booking is something that truly disrupts the market.
Back in the early months of 2020, Uber was more into self-driving cars and air taxis. The company even launched a freight booking service along with e-bike rentals. During the past year, Uber had either dumped or sold off its new arms. For example, Uber Freight Service was sold off, although the company still has equity. However, it was quite evident that the company was strengthening its core business. Especially when they acquired Drizly and Postmates, it became as clear as daylight that Uber still relies on ridesharing and delivery. These two core business areas ensure the profitability of the business.
Uber Valet Service
The company’s objective is to help users “go” and “get,” Uber CPO told during a recent press interview. This essentially means the company would enable people to go anywhere and get anything – even a vaccine. Through Uber, people can get food from their favorite restaurants, get their groceries, and even prescriptions and alcohol. The company’s product development strategy depends on this ethos only. Now that Uber has acquired Postmates, it can also deliver iPhones, to cite an example.
Uber Rent with Valet is another feature on the app, which now allows American users to rent an entire car directly through the app. The vehicle will reach the app user, at home or the airport. The Uber Reserve feature, yet another innovative service launched by the company, is now available in all fifty states. The feature includes flight tracking, curbside pickup, and 60 minutes of waiting time. The “Pick up and Go” feature lets users place orders for pick up and pick up their orders while on their way to their destination.
There’s Also A Savings Hub
Uber also added a savings hub to its list of features, highlighting eligible deals, discounts, and offers in the form of in-app notifications. You can book the Uber rental service, not for a single trip, but you can book a car on an hourly basis. This is quite popular in Latin America and Asia, although it is not popular in the USA.
March 2021 was Uber’s most profitable month in its history in terms of gross sales. Uber’s delivery business is still not as profitable as its ridesharing business. With the Go Get strategy in the works, the company is well on its way to scale its core businesses – ridesharing and delivery. These are the two businesses that generated positive results in the past year, and the company is in no mood to change its trajectory. It also speaks volumes about how consumer behavior has changed in a pandemic-hit world.
Modern users prefer advanced booking products, which was not the case until a few years back. On-demand reservation was the dominant trend even a few years back. However, with consumer behavior rapidly changing, Uber is investing in improving the user experience in many different ways. In a COVID-19 pandemic situation, this also means you can tap your phone to get your vaccine at Walgreens, riding a Uber. So, what are you waiting for? Schedule your vaccine shots now and take the first step towards breaking the chain. Stay healthy, stay safe!