Uber Eats is rolling out a TikTok-like short-form video feature to enhance discovery and enable restaurants to showcase their dishes. Awaneesh Verma, Uber Eats’ senior director of Product, exclusively sharedin an interview that the new feature is currently being tested in New York, San Francisco, and Toronto, with plans for a global launch in the future.
With this move, Uber Eats joins a host of other popular apps that have introduced their own short-form video features in the wake of TikTok’s surge in popularity, including Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and Netflix. Additionally, TechCrunch recently uncovered that LinkedIn is experimenting with its own TikTok-style feed.
The new Uber Eats short-form videos will be displayed in carousels throughout the app, including the home screen. Upon selecting a video preview, users will enter a vertical feed of short-form content that can be swiped through, featuring content exclusively from restaurants that offer delivery to the user’s location.
Verma explained that the feed aims to replicate the experience of being in a restaurant, where customers can witness food preparation and feel inspired to try new dishes. As users swipe through the feed, they may encounter videos showcasing various culinary delights, such as an ice cream shop crafting a Nutella milkshake or an Indian restaurant packing rice separately from curry to maintain freshness during delivery.
According to Verma, early data indicates that users are more willing to experiment with new dishes and explore options they may not have considered before. The ability to visualize texture, portion sizes, and dish details has proven to be particularly inspiring for users, fostering confidence in their ordering decisions.
Uber Eats emphasizes that the videos featured in its new feed are not advertisements, as the company is not charging merchants for the content placements.
Numerous restaurants leverage social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok to expand their reach and showcase their culinary offerings through short-form videos. By enabling merchants to share such videos directly within the Uber Eats app, the company facilitates direct interaction between restaurants and customers at the moment of decision-making. This initiative aims to assist restaurants in reaching potential customers as they browse options on Uber Eats.
For consumers, social media platforms are already popular avenues for discovering new dining establishments and dishes to try. Uber Eats likely anticipates that its new feed will encourage users to explore and find culinary inspiration directly within its app, leveraging the familiarity and convenience of the platform to enhance the overall food discovery experience.