Building a next-gen service offering

TradeKart initially investigated establishing its own delivery fleet, but after realising this would be difficult to scale nationally, it wanted to form a relationship with a reliable delivery partner. Uber Direct is now fundamental to TradeKart’s national proposition. Its technology also allows TradeKart customers to track their courier’s progress so they have the reassurance of knowing exactly when items will arrive.

Alistair McAuley, TradeKart’s founder and CEO, said: “We wanted to work with Uber Direct because their delivery network would allow us to scale, but also because we knew end users would love our combined technology."

“We began life as a start-up looking to empower local merchants, but our relationship with Uber Direct has enabled us to scale nationally with brands such as City Plumbing, Toolstation and Selco - and fulfil online orders in under 30 minutes. It’s an amazing service and it’s played a big part in our success to date.”

Rapid delivery powers rapid expansion

The partnership with Uber Direct has allowed TradeKart to promise delivery from top brands in as little as 30 minutes. The fastest delivery achieved to date was completed in just seven minutes!

This speed of service has helped TradeKart achieve a huge growth in on-demand orders. Adoption increased eightfold in just one six month period, and the company is now fulfilling thousands of deliveries every week across the trade merchant sector.

The partnership is also enabling TradeKart to expand internationally. Uber Direct is underpinning the launch of TradeKart’s new US service recently launched in Chicago, and plans are in place to extend the partnership to countries across Europe.

Transforming the trade sector

TradeKart’s vision is to transform how tradespeople buy products and go about their work. Its rapid and on-demand delivery service is enabling tradespeople to get hold of products quickly – and fulfil those “I just need X to finish the job today” orders. It is also ensuring parts and equipment can be scheduled to arrive on location for the start of the next working day, helping to reduce any project delays.

Alistair said: “Our partnership is helping us revolutionise how tradespeople operate. We’ve spoken to London plumbers who say they no longer need a van for work because of TradeKart. They can jump on the Tube with a backpack, as they know all the parts they need for a job can be delivered to them onsite.”

Great support proves key to success

A key reason TradeKart has successfully attracted so many top merchants, and onboarded thousands of stores onto the app, has been its commitment to creating a frictionless end-to-end experience. The onboarding support and ongoing guidance, provided by TradeKart to merchants, customers and couriers, has been fundamental to establishing confidence in the service. It is also helping traditional merchant stores adapt their practices to accommodate on-demand orders made through the app, and is ensuring products arrive with the customer in the same condition they leave the store.