SAN FRANCISCO, CA - In its latest effort to go head to head with grocery and foodservice contenders, Uber Technologies kicked off a new partnership set to strengthen its UberEats division. Teaming up with Gopuff, the company sidles up to other food delivery apps competing to bring grocery items to shoppers in a convenient way.

“One thing we know to be true is that people have come to expect more delivered to their doorsteps than ever before—we’ve seen searches for grocery and convenience items grow by 40 percent since the start of the year,” said Raj Beri, Uber’s Head of Grocery and New Verticals Delivery. “With this partnership, we are able to leapfrog the competition in using Gopuff’s network of micro-fulfillment centers to instantly meet consumer demand for thousands of products—and I’m incredibly excited about the opportunities ahead.”

According to the release, the new in-app collaboration is planned to launch in more than 95 cities this June, with national expansion to follow later in the summer. It will make use of Gopuff’s hyper-local logistics and driver network to reach Uber customers across the country.

Today’s news follows months of expansion for the UberEats app into grocery, convenience, and additional verticals to meet the evolving expectations of American consumers—including the announced acquisitions of Postmates and Cornershop. Residents in more than 100 cities and towns in 20 major U.S. metros can now have groceries, including fresh fruits and vegetables, delivered, whether scheduled or on-demand, via the Uber and UberEats apps.

“As we continue to innovate and lead the instant needs space, we’re excited to power Uber’s new essentials offering, leveraging our logistics, tech, and inventory expertise to bring a first of its kind experience to customers,” said Daniel Folkman, Gopuff SVP of Business. “Everything we do at Gopuff is for our customers, and this partnership brings Gopuff’s unique assortment, affordable prices, and fast delivery to even more people nationwide.”

Gopuff delivers a diverse selection of groceries to customers in more than 650 cities from its own 250+ micro-fulfillment centers. This partnership marries Uber’s engaged U.S. consumer base with Gopuff’s expertise in delivery. This is the first deal of its kind for both companies—the first partnership with a vertically integrated delivery business for Uber and the first time Gopuff has powered an essentials delivery offering for a partner.

Additionally, Gopuff has rapidly expanded its product offerings and geographic footprint, growing its number of micro-fulfillment centers by nearly 80 percent last year. With a focus on supporting local businesses, Gopuff has partnered with more than 100 local brands, adding 500 products nationwide with more coming onto the platform each week.

How will moves such as these fortify Uber’s presence in the grocery and foodservice markets? Keep reading ANUK as we go in search of the answers.

Uber Gopuff