Uber Eats arrives in Whanganui but when will you be able to get a ride?

Uber Eats is available in Whanganui from November 16 as part of the company's expansion to four new cities across New Zealand. Photo/ Alex Burton

Uber Eats has launched in Whanganui.

The arrival is part of the San Francisco-based company’s expansion which also includes Whangārei, Gisborne and Invercargill.

When asked if the arrival of Uber Eats signalled that Uber - the independent taxicab company - would soon be coming to Whanganui, a spokesman for Uber said there was “nothing further to announce at this stage”.

Moving into the Whanganui market means Uber Eats is now available in 17 cities across New Zealand. Uber is accessible in 14 cities including New Plymouth and Palmerston North, but not Whanganui.

Mint Café and Frank Bar co-owner Lez Kiriona said Uber Eats would help “push the boundaries of what’s available in Whanganui”.

Whanganui & Partners strategic business lead Tim Easton said food delivery services were popular because of their convenience, and for customers who couldn’t travel or preferred to be at home.

“We saw this demonstrated during periods of Covid-19 restrictions when the use of these services grew dramatically. Balance is needed though and it is important that people continue to visit local restaurants, eat out and enjoy the city.”

Easton said it was important to note that Whanganui had an existing service in Food Runners, which was a locally-owned franchise and had a good uptake with 37 registered Whanganui restaurants.

“Uber Eats will be competing with a well-established customer base for this service, and also with restaurants which co-ordinate their own delivery service.

“Some businesses will welcome competition in the market but will need to weigh up the costs involved with adding a service or changing to a new one, also taking into account the habits of their customers and willingness to change who they order through.”

Delivereasy has also been operating in Whanganui.

Uber Eats takes a cut of between 20 to 30 per cent per order from restaurants and food outlets, and in 2022 generated $10.9 billion in revenue.

Information provided by Uber stated that in 2021, there was $88 million in additional revenue for New Zealand restaurant partners.

• An earlier version of this story incorrectly said Uber Eats’ cut was 20-35 per cent. It is 20-30 per cent.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.