Costco Partners Uber to Offer Delivery of Costco Products

Uber Technologies (UBER) announced six new products and features at its fourth annual Go-Get event, including a discounted Uber One membership for college students and an international rollout of Uber Eats delivery service of Costco ( COST ) products. The ridesharing giant also announced new features for Uber Eats and Health, along with new ways to reserve rides at lower costs.

As of Wednesday, users in select locations across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Japan can order a number of Costco ( COST ) products through the Uber Eats app, whether they have a Costco ( COST ) membership or not. Uber rolled out its Uber One membership in November 2021, offering discounts on rides and free Uber Eats delivery, among other benefits, and currently has more than 19 million members. The company has decided to expand its potential membership base by offering a discounted version of the membership to college students at $4.99 per month, half the price of the original plan. Uber One for Students is launching now through the fall at an unspecified number of universities across the U.S., Canada, France, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Mexico. Sheridan said Uber plans to partner with a number of popular college spots like Domino's (DPZ), Taco Bell, and Starbucks (SBUX) for promotions going forward.

Uber also announced two new ways to plan rides in advance: expanding its scheduled ride system by bringing Uber Shuttle to the U.S., and introducing the ability to schedule an UberX Share ride in advance. Uber Shuttle General Manager Anthony Le Roux said Wednesday that Uber is prepared to bring the service to America later this year. Previously, the company had also partnered with some businesses in the U.S. to take their employees to and from work, but the feature will soon be available directly for users. This summer, Uber said it plans to partner with airports and event venues to coordinate trips to and from sporting events, concerts, and more in cities like Miami and Chicago.

Uber is also expanding its scheduling service with UberX Share, making the lower-cost service one that can be scheduled in advance. A ride can be scheduled as little as 10 minutes ahead of time or days in advance, and the app will tell users once the driver is approaching whether they will be sharing the ride with anyone else.

Starting in July in New York City and elsewhere later this year, Uber Eats users will have the ability to save restaurants and dishes in combined lists, which can also be shared with friends or publicly on the app. Finally, Uber Health users will receive the ability sometime this summer to add a contact from their phone as a designated "caregiver" for them. This could be a big help for those caring for elderly or sick relatives who may not be able to schedule those things on their own.

Uber shares were up 1.4% at 1:40 p.m. Wednesday to $66.25, and have gained over 70% in the last 12 months. Costco Wholesale Corp. ( COST ) has grown into a major warehouse retailer in the U.S. and abroad by offering low prices on large packages of name-brand products. The company has over 127 million members who purchase long-term memberships to gain access to roughly 860 Costco warehouse stores in the U.S., Asia, Europe, and Latin America, and to make online purchases.