Uber takes a first step towards profitability
During the health crisis, deliveries of meals and groceries (Uber Eats and other branches) became Uber's main financial windfall.
REUTERS - Valentyn Ogirenko
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Uber is doing very well.
The Californian group is taking full advantage of vaccinations and the reopening of the economy.
It achieved $ 4.8 billion in sales in the third quarter.
A new step taken by Uber in its quest for profitability.
Advertising
Read more
This is the first time that Uber has achieved a gross surplus: $ 8 million.
Bookings for chauffeured trips jumped 67% year-on-year.
The group suffered during the pandemic.
But it comes out much stronger than before the various confinements.
Its main financial windfall now comes from its delivery branch, notably Uber Eats.
"
The pandemic accelerates the use of this use once it has passed,"
explains Grégoire Leclercq, founder of the
Observatory of Uberization
.
We can see it from elsewhere: the delivery of meals and the delivery of fresh produce, the delivery to certain countries of medicines was put in place during the pandemic because people could not go out and it became a convenience. It has become something that end users want to keep. Of course, variants are a sword of Damocles over the entire world economy, but Uber will fare even stronger if there are variants, in reality, because more people will consume after services. returned by the company.
"
Uber was able to buy a direct competitor this summer, paying more than $ 2.5 billion for the Postmates application.
However, the company continues to focus on transport with driver.
To motivate them to get back behind the wheel, she dug into her funds and set up bonuses and other bonuses.
Because in no hurry to come back to work for fear of the Covid and comforted by the fact of receiving substantial state aid, the shortage of drivers has led to longer waiting times and higher prices for customers.
Some drivers had also devoted themselves exclusively to the delivery of meals to the detriment of the transport of people.
According to the company, the drivers are coming back.
The average wait time for customers is said to have dropped to less than five minutes.
►
To read also: Uber: strong increase in reservations and turnover
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Economy
Transport
Companies