A global food delivery startup that has been operating in Australia for five months has a very simple message for the $US60 billion tech giant that’s expanding into its heated market: “Bring it on.”
Ridesharing startup Uber recently announced it will be bringing its food delivery branch to Australia, with Melbourne set to become only the second city outside of North America to get the service.
It will now be competing directly with the likes of Deliveroo, Suppertime and Menulog.
But Deliveroo Australia country manager Levi Aron says he isn’t too concerned about the imminent launch of UberEATS.
He says Deliveroo will still offer a better service and this will set his startup apart in the long run.
“They will obviously make a lot of noise but it’s important to differentiate between what UberEATS is and what Deliveroo is,” Aron tells StartupSmart.
“Uber is doing a lot of things – they deliver puppies and helicopter rides. They dabble in some fun activities and they get the masses to raise their eyebrows.
“But Deliveroo’s focus is 100% on food and delivery. Bring it on – let’s have some fun.”
Aron says that although Uber is sure to make waves at first when its delivery service launches, users will soon return to its rivals to get a full experience.
“Deliveroo’s model is bringing the whole experience,” he says.
“We have an amazing selection of restaurants and you can order from hundreds of different cuisines. We give the customers the flexibility – they can eat what they want, how they want.
“The Uber model is quite different, it’s quite simplistic. They have a set amount of restaurants with a set menu and it’s not necessarily made fresh.”
Aron points to this fact as the clear point of difference between his company and the ridesharing giant, which will be using its drivers to deliver food from participating restaurants.
“If you want a hot sandwich in the middle of the day, UberEATS might work for you,” he says.
“If you’re looking for fresh food made for you from a variety of restaurants, Deliveroo is for you. We’re open 12 hours per day, seven days a week.”
Deliveroo launched in Australia in November last year and according to Aron has enjoyed 25-30% week-on-week growth since.
It now operates in 60 cities across 12 countries.
He says that although he’s confident in his own company, he’ll be following UberEATS closely once it launches.
“Any business owner needs to be aware of what’s going on and I’m aware of what Uber is doing,” Aron says.
“But we have a unique model and selling point.
“Uber is a great brand and people like it – they might trial it but Deliveroo is the one that will deliver.”
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Denham Sadler is a former editor of StartupSmart. He was previously a journalist at the publication and has worked as a freelancer for the Guardian, the Saturday Paper and the ABC. In his spare time he likes puns and jaffles.
