The last year was a trial for most, with people forced to stay indoors to protect themselves and their loved ones. Staying indoors meant having to figure out ways to get access to essential items such as food and groceries. There were several emerging trends over this period when communities struggled to find ways to obtain their daily needs without having to step out of the safety of their homes. There was a rise in demand for digital solutions in Sri Lanka, further testing the versatility of businesses and industries to adapt to new, dynamic market conditions. 

Accompanied with the rise of ecommerce, many essential businesses such as restaurants and grocery outlets were able to keep vital supply lines open during challenging times by leveraging digital platforms such as Uber Eats. Multiple households had increased access to daily necessities, whereas various couriers, restaurants and vendors found new income opportunities and business growth through such platforms.

Here’s what a variety of local vendors had to say about such partnerships:

Nipuna, Dropoff.lk:

It’s been seven months since we joined Uber Eats, around the time of the second wave in the country. Uber Eats helps improve customer convenience, helps us reach a wider customer base and expedites last-mile delivery better than anyone else. People have become increasingly familiar with the app and it gives us tremendous satisfaction to help those who are unable to step out of their homes or do not want to put themselves at risk by going to a supermarket. We also witnessed a growth in the number of orders after joining the Uber Eats platform and since then our sales have been quite stable.

Indika, AGROCARE:

AGROCARE was primarily involved in Agriculture & Corporate businesses where we supplied fresh vegetables to exports, hotels, supermarkets and restaurants. However during the first lockdown, the business was struggling and we were looking for alternatives to keep operations afloat. Thus we partnered with Uber Eats around the same time, and it has been incredibly helpful, as we discovered a new avenue to connect directly with the end consumer. Today, thanks to the Uber Eats platform, our consumers can purchase AGROCARE farm fresh vegetables and fruits at the best rate and get it delivered to their doorstep without any intermediaries. From a business point of view, it is fantastic to serve the nation in need since not only were we serving customers and delivery partners, but we were also helping farmers who were unable to sell their organic produce. We are thankful to Uber Eats for helping AGROCARE continue employing over 40 people, allowing them to keep their jobs and continue supporting their families during tough times.

Saman, Finagle Lanka:

We partnered with Uber Eats early in March last year, since it provided us access to many customers, the wide availability of delivery partners and good service overall. We joined just before the COVID pandemic and since then we have been able to help local communities during hard times like these. We are very happy that our customers are able to get their requirements and their loved items while simultaneously helping us grow as a business ourselves. Uber Eats helped us achieve our targets even through the pandemic, further resulting in the expansion to two mini marts with hopes to open more dealerships across the island.