…“Delivery in general is really underpenetrated in Canada, relative to other countries globally,” said Pang, Uber Eats Canada’s head of restaurant operations, in an interview. “As big as we think Uber Eats is today, there is still a lot of room to grow.”
The data appears to support her outlook. According to Ipsos Foodservice Monitor research, delivery and take-out accounted for eight per cent of sales for quick service restaurants and six per cent of full-service restaurants sales in Canada for the first quarter of 2018.
It’s not just stats like those Uber Eats has to contend with on its path to growth. Hostile city councils, fee-averse mom-and-pop restaurants, far-flung suburban markets and fierce competition from rivals including Foodora and SkipTheDishes present formidable obstacles, even for a high-profile brand such as Uber.
And Uber Eats has still yet to push into potentially lucrative food offerings beyond restaurants, such as meal kits, restaurant supplies, catering and groceries.