Uber Eats was one of several experimental services trialled in 2014, as then-CEO Travis Kalanick tried to use the company’s ride-sharing platform to break into other transportation sectors.
Originally, Uber Eats delivered a fixed price menu in a small Santa Monica, California test area. The service soon expanded to include Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, and more local restaurants were invited to join. Within a year, Uber Eats was available in Barcelona, New York, and Chicago.
Uber has held first position in many countries for food delivery, although it has had to scale back in the past few years. It ended service in South Korea and India in 2019 and in several Eastern European countries in 2020. It also entered into an agreement with Russian search engine Yandex to leave Russia.
In its home market, Uber has been in fierce competition with DoorDash, which surpassed Grubhub to become the most popular food delivery service in 2019. Uber bolstered its position in July 2020 with the acquisition of Postmates for $2.65 billion.
Even though Uber takes a cut of between 20 to 30 percent of all orders, it has yet to make a profit. The argument made by Uber is once it has expanded enough and the market has stabilized, Eats will be profitable, but investors are worried that even in the pandemic, when Uber saw its gross bookings triple, it still failed to generate a profit.
That said, Uber Eats has reported lower losses year-on-year, so potentially as the market consolidates, it may reach a point of profitability.
Uber Eats (and other food delivery services) are attempting to reduce costs further through the use of “dark kitchens”, which are set up by restaurants in cheaper locations and only focus on delivery. Uber recently announced it would stop providing the real-estate for these kitchens, but it has paved the way for many chain restaurants to use them.
In 2020, Eats became central to sustaining the business, as Uber’s ride hailing platform saw 50 percent less revenue than a year ago. Eats has generated more revenue than its Mobility segment since Q2 2020, although Uber expects ride hailing to overtake food delivery as several key countries return to normality.
We’ve collected data and statistics on Uber Eats. Read below to find out more.
Uber Eats key statistics
- Uber Eats generated $8.3 billion in revenue in 2021, a 72% year-on-year increase
- Uber Eats gross bookings surpassed $50 billion in 2021
- Internationally, Uber Eats is the most popular food delivery service, with 81 million users
Food Delivery App Report 2022
Want to learn more about the food delivery app industry? Our food delivery app report includes breakdowns of all of the top apps by revenue, GMV and orders, alongside regional market share statistics, usage, and downloads.
Uber Eats overview
| Title 1 | Title 2 |
|---|---|
| Launch date | August 2014 |
| HQ | San Francisco, California |
| People | Dara Khosrowshahi (CEO), Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty (Uber VP, Deliveries) |
| Business type | Subsidiary |
| Parent company | Uber |
| Industry | Food delivery |
Uber Eats revenue
Uber Eats revenue reached $8.3 billion in 2021. It has increased its revenue rapidly over the past two years.
Uber Eats quarterly revenue 2018 to 2022 ($mm)
Uber Eats annual revenue 2017 to 2021 ($bn)
| Year | Revenue ($bn) |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 0.6 |
| 2018 | 1.5 |
| 2019 | 1.9 |
| 2020 | 4.8 |
| 2021 | 8.3 |
Sources: Bloomberg, Company data, Food Delivery App Report
Uber mobility and delivery revenue
Uber’s delivery platform kept the business alive through the pandemic, although both are now contributing about equal amounts in revenue in 2022.
Uber mobility and delivery segment revenue 2018 to 2022 ($bn)
Uber Eats gross bookings
Uber Eats surpassed $50 billion in gross bookings in 2021, a 70% increase on the year prior.
Uber Eats annual gross bookings 2017 to 2021 ($bn)
| Year | Gross bookings ($bn) |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 3.1 |
| 2018 | 7.9 |
| 2019 | 14.5 |
| 2020 | 30.2 |
| 2021 | 51.6 |
Source: Company data, Food Delivery App Report
Uber Eats users
Uber Eats has approximately 81 million users, making it the most popular single app delivery service.
Uber Eats annual users 2016 to 2021 (mm)
| Year | Users (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2017 | 9 |
| 2018 | 15 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2020 | 66 |
| 2021 | 81 |
Note: This is an estimate. Sources: Company data, Eater, Skift, ZDNet
Uber Eats cities
Uber Eats is available in over 6,000 cities in 45 countries.
Uber Eats available cities 2017 to 2021
| Year | Cities available |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 120 |
| 2018 | 200 |
| 2019 | 500 |
| 2020 | 1,000 |
| 2021 | 6,000 |
Source: Company data
Uber Eats restaurants
Uber Eats has approximately 900,000 restaurant partners.
Uber Eats partnered restaurants 2017 to 2021
| Year | Supported Restaurants |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 80,000 |
| 2018 | 100,000 |
| 2019 | 220,000 |
| 2020 | 600,000 |
| 2021 | 900,000 |
Source: Company data
Uber Eats marketshare vs US competitors
Want to learn more? Get our premium food delivery report
Uber Eats FAQ
What is the average Uber Eats delivery time?
The average Uber Eats order takes 30 minutes
What is Uber Eats valuation?
Uber Eats has been valued at $20 billion (WSJ), although that has most likely increased in 2020
What is the most popular delivery request on Uber Eats?
The most popular delivery request in the US is no onion, followed by extra sauce and no tomatoes
What is the average annual spend per consumer on Uber Eats?
Average annual spend per consumer on Uber Eats at $220.37 (Slice Intelligence)
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