Shopify — Enabling On-Demand Delivery for Local Businesses

By Nathan Lam

In the last five years, e-commerce has not only transformed the retail industry, it’s revolutionized the way time-pressed consumers shop. Whether they are casually browsing or buying their weekly essentials, convenience is often the primary reason why customers purchase items online rather than in person. With same-day delivery on the rise, online shoppers are even getting the instant gratification that was once reserved for traditional retail stores. Given the increased ease of online shopping, it’s no surprise that e-commerce sites are growing in popularity.

So where does this leave local businesses? Shopify, one of the world’s leading e-commerce platforms, helps local businesses expand their presence digitally. From helping them create online storefronts to setting up their own POS device, Shopify is creating new opportunities for businesses.

Recently, Shopify has taken things to the next level by enabling on-demand delivery through UberRUSH. With this new capability, Shopify is providing small businesses with the same technology and tools as big box retailers and leading e-commerce sites.

The results of the UberRUSH partnership and the API integration have been positive and encouraging for Shopify’s merchants. In the past year, businesses on Shopify have created some of the most interesting and unique customer experiences through the UberRUSH integration. Here are three companies that are leveraging UberRUSH and the API to power exciting customer interactions.

For Kith, a contemporary menswear brand based in New York, UberRUSH allowed them to put sneakers in the hands of online customers almost instantaneously. To celebrate the limited edition collaboration from Ronnie Fieg and Diadora, Kith used UberRUSH to power a KITHSTRIKE event that enabled customers to receive their sneakers on-demand — no matter where they were when they placed their order.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCivujgjorw

UberRUSH allows businesses to think outside the box and create new possibilities. Although the on-demand concept is self-explanatory, adding additional context to your service will allow customers to fully understand the value that you are bringing.

For our friends at Spikeball, UberRUSH gave last-minute shoppers the chance to purchase a gift before Christmas. Imagine skipping all the holiday lines and avoiding long wait times with a push of a button. By simply activating UberRUSH through the Shopify dashboard, the team transformed a typical 5- to 7-day delivery window into a 30-minute one for their customers.

By teaming up with top designers like Zac Posen, Jeremy Scott, and Rag & Bone, Sakara Life was able to create a one-of-a-kind experience powered by UberRUSH.

The team, which specializes in delivering organic plant-based, nutritionally designed meals, launched an exclusive New York City Fashion Week activation by giving away custom on-demand lunch boxes containing a selection of their signature dishes. Within two hours, all the meals were sold out!

UberRUSH’s mission has always been to make getting anything in your city more convenient, affordable, and reliable than picking it up yourself. We believe that integrating our API should be just as easy.

We can’t wait to see how other partners and businesses take advantage of UberRUSH and the exciting products that will come out of it. Have an interesting idea for how to leverage the UberRUSH API? Check out our docs to get started today!

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