Oracle and Uber launch 'Collect and Receive' to enhance last-mile delivery

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) and Uber (NYSE:UBER) have recently announced a new solution, "Collect and Receive," aimed at enhancing the last-mile delivery experience for retailers. The service is supported by the Oracle Retail Data Store and cloud platform technologies, which now allow retailers to connect seamlessly with Uber Direct, Uber's white-label delivery solution, via pre-integrated APIs.

The joint offering is expected to facilitate inventory rebalancing for retailers while providing customers with an array of choices such as same-day and scheduled delivery options, order pickups, and returns to the nearest retail or postal location. The service is currently available for Oracle Retail customers in the U.S. and Canada.

"Today's retailers are taking note that on-demand delivery is a core expectation for consumers," said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. He added that more than 3,500 brands use Uber Direct every month to support millions of same-day local deliveries. This partnership with Oracle aims to make it even easier for retailers to leverage on-demand delivery and returns to improve customer satisfaction, streamline logistics, and boost loyalty and sales.

This co-innovation builds upon Uber's recent seven-year strategic cloud partnership with Oracle. The collaboration aims to deliver new consumer experiences with last-mile logistics and drive increased profitability with the help of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI).

According to Pat Bohannon, vice president at Oracle Retail, this connection between Oracle's retail processes understanding and Uber's delivery expertise will not only bridge the gap between a sales transaction and customer service but also provide invaluable data for better customer service in future interactions and overall retail profitability improvement.

New research commissioned by Uber underscores the importance of express delivery as an option, with 75% of consumers expecting it. The study also found that 72% are more likely to continue ordering from companies that offer this service, while 44% mentioned they stopped doing business with a company because they didn't offer express delivery.

The Collect and Receive service allows retailers to harness the power of the Oracle Retail Data Store Cloud Service, Oracle Retail Store Inventory Operations Cloud Service, Oracle Retail Xstore Point of Service, or Oracle Retail Order Management Suite Cloud Services. These tools provide retailers with quick access to Uber Direct via bundled APIs.

Once connected, retailers can offer customers fast, reliable, and flexible local delivery while better managing delivery costs. Oracle suggests that closing the gap between order and delivery will create a more agile supply chain capable of moving merchandise more efficiently across retailers' ecosystems.

All transaction data is fed back into the Oracle retail cloud platform, enabling retailers to further analyze buying behaviors and preferences to refine and improve services and offers. This connection allows retailers to deliver on their brand promise through every interaction with the customer, driving true loyalty.

Jordan K. Speer, Research Director of Worldwide Retail Product Sourcing, Fulfilment, and Sustainability Strategies at IDC Research, praised the partnership, saying it will lower the cost of last-mile deliveries and provide retailers with a more valuable, intelligent end-to-end supply chain process.

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