Uber rolled out a new menu of ride options Wednesday, from an "Uber Shuttle" to the airport or a concert to "Uber Caregiver," which lets you book rides that may be covered by health insurance for elderly people.
- Another new service will let you order groceries from Costco, whether or not you're a member. (Sorry, gold bars and hot dogs are excluded — but you can get a rotisserie chicken.)
Why it matters: Uber is a ride-hailing behemoth — and its recent partnership with Instacart could offer a big boost — but it faces several challenges.
- Customer gripes about high prices have translated to lower ride demand in some places, while mounting legal bills contributed to disappointing first-quarter earnings.
Driving the news: Uber introduced several new features on its annual "Go-Get" release day.
Uber Shuttle
Uber Shuttle lets you reserve up to five seats to or from an airport, concert or sporting event, up to seven days in advance.
- The company says it'll be "a fraction of the price of an UberX" and costs won't rise with surge pricing.
UberX Share
UberX Share lets you "schedule a shared ride in advance to save 25%, on average, compared to UberX," the company says.
- The feature is aimed at commuters, and is starting out in cities with high return-to-office rates, like New York, L.A., Chicago and more.
Uber Caregiver
Uber Caregiver will allow caregivers to book rides for an elderly parent (or other loved one) to doctor appointments, grocery stores, etc.
- The feature, rolling out this summer, is meant to be covered by Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and commercial insurance.
Costco on Uber Eats
Costco on Uber Eats will be a "Costco on-demand" delivery service, available from select U.S. locations.
- It began as a pilot in Costco Texas clubs in July 2021.
- Uber would not share the total number of participating stores.
How it works: Costco members will typically save 15-20% more than non-members when they order through the Uber Eats app, Uber told Axios.
- Prices and delivery fees can vary by location.
- Costco's famous rotisserie chicken, which costs $4.99 nationwide, was $5.39 to order from a Texas club for members Wednesday and $6.32 for non-members.
Uber Go-Get 2024: Other announcements
Other new Uber features include a price cut for students and some tweaks to Uber Eats.
- The price of Uber One for Students — a membership program — is being halved to $4.99 a month or $48 a year, with additional deals and discounts from partner companies like Domino's, Starbucks, and Taco Bell.
The bottom line: While Uber dominates the U.S. rideshare market, its new features are meant as a "take that!" message to Lyft — as well as a friendly wave to people who swore off the service as prices rose.
