Uber Eats checks out of HK after 5 years, shuts ops by year-end

Uber Eats Hong Kong will cease operation by the end of this year, switching its focus to its mobility platform in the city.  On 30 November, Uber Eats Hong Kong uploaded a brief statement on its website. It read, "After five years of partnering with restaurants and delivery people in Hong Kong, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue Uber Eats in Hong Kong on 31 December 2021. Our priority now is to support our employees, restaurant partners, delivery people and consumers in the transition. We couldn’t have built what we did without their trust and hard work, and we thank them for their support for the platform."

It added, "Whilst we wind down our delivery platform operations in Hong Kong, we are more committed than ever to growing our mobility platform in the city, which is home to our largest Uber Taxi business globally. We will keep investing and serve more riders and drivers in coming years by bringing the very best technology to Hong Kong." Uber Eats Hong Kong did not explain its reason for quitting the Hong Kong market. However, according to a report from Ming Pao, Uber Eats has been struggling with inadequate couriers, leading to many customers cancelling their orders which has created a lot of wastes.

However, in July, in an interview with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, the company said it was looking to build up its ad offerings in Hong Kong. Ally Doube, APAC head of brand strategy and social at Uber Eats said this feature has already been enabled in many of its existing markets, but the company was mulling the move to launch it in Hong Kong, enabling restaurants to use sponsored listings to advertise, and put their branding in the front or centre of the Uber Eats feed. On the consumer front, the brand also launched its first-ever “Tonight, I’ll Be Eating” campaign in a bid to celebrate and support Hong Kong restaurants on its platform. Collaborating with singers Joyce Cheng and Alfred Hui, the campaign, created in partnership with Special Group Australia and Uth Hong Kong, and was aimed at supporting local restaurants on the platform and providing over thousands of restaurant partners with bespoke ready-to-use content for them to repurpose on their owned channels.

The brand has been facing tough competition from the likes of Deliveroo Hong Kong and foodpanda Hong Kong which have been actively marketing its products and striking up partnerships with local players

In August, Uber Hong Kong acquired e-hail startup HKTaxi, in a move that will expand earnings opportunities for taxi drivers and bring greater convenience to riders. This partnership brought together HKTaxi's engineering strength and local knowledge with Uber’s global R&D capabilities and operational expertise. Uber first launched in Hong Kong in 2014. It will accelerate growth in the taxi industry in Hong Kong, and underscores the city’s role as a regional startup and mobility hub. HKTaxi operates an app that connects taxi drivers with people wanting a ride. Locally built, it has been widely adopted by drivers and riders since its launch eight years ago. It includes booking, dispatch, and taxi fare e-payment capabilities.

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