On-Demand Bike Courier App coming to Atlanta

By: Aaron Jernigan

As society continues to grow, technological advances continue to make our lives easier. Urban Delivery is a fairly new company that launched early 2013 whose sole purpose is to provide convenience. It is an on-demand service app available to IOS and Android devices that, through GPS-tracking, allow app users to get any item that can be carried delivered their doorstop quickly. Adrienne Sheares and Morehouse graduate Ron Cade officially launched the company on June 3rd of last year in Washington DC. Due to a very strategic marketing mix and appealing to the peoples needs in a major growing city, Urban Delivery has thrived over the last year and has expanded to other cities such as New York and Boston with plans of moving to Atlanta as early as 2015.
            Currently, 17 couriers can purchase items up to $150 for customers, with a minimum of 12.99.  The purchase will be subjected to a 10% processing fee in addition to 20% gratuity for couriers, which is added to the base rate. Payment for the item can be made via the app or in advance of their purchase. Whether it is dry cleaning, a special delivery of cupcakes Sprinkles, a burrito from Chipotle Mexican Grill, or simply a cold beer, Urban Delivery ensures on-demand, same-hour delivery to residents. Convenience and fast service are the main key components of the company's marketing strategy. This is very appealing in a hectic city full of businessmen and college students who may need some extra help running errands, or might need to have their lunch delivered to the office. Through the app, Urban Delivery also allows customers to see the route and how close the courier/biker is via GPS tracking. In a recent interview with Black Enterprise Magazine, co-founder Ron Cade stated "When the courier takes the order, you get the information of the biker and the biker gets your information, so you see when they get to the store—they alert you when they're at the store—and if something's wrong, or there's an extremely long line at the store, they'll call and communicate that to you."  The reason why Urban Delivery is currently thriving is because Cade put the right product in the right place, at the right price, at the right time.
The Product (service) that Urban Delivery offers satisfies one of the most important needs for a young adolescent working in a big city, time. Guaranteed convenience that can easily be accessed through your mobile phone is extremely appealing to everyone. As time goes by, the fundamental living model of human beings has been changed. With all the different inventions and discoveries throughout the years, our standard of living has been affected both mentally and physically. Technology has and continues to make our lives easier, and Urban Delivery wanted to make sure it took advantage of that. Do you believe Urban Delivery will be successful when it launches in Atlanta this summer? How frequently do you see customers using this service and which type of people should Urban Delivery target? What recommendations do you think would help Urban Delivery become more successful? 

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4 comments:

  1. UnknownApril 29, 2015 at 1:47 PM

    I think that this is a very intriguing idea for cities with heavy traffic that can hinder delivers such as pizza, Chinese food, etc. The market for this would be very big in cities like New York, Atlanta, Chicago, etc. Since time is the only real and measurable thing, it is very important to many people. Any way that a business can find a way to sell convenience (i.e. time) it has fulfilled a desirable role in it's market.

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  2. UnknownApril 30, 2015 at 11:18 AM

    I’m a little skeptical on the success that Urban Deliveries will have in Atlanta. With the carriers riding bikes to delivery the orders, there is a limited range in which this service can be used. It depends on where exactly the headquarters is positioned. I believe this service will be more beneficial to people who work downtown than anyone else. I say this because the people who would use this service are the ones who stay around metro-Atlanta like Decatur and Stone Mountain areas or surrounding cities like Jonesboro, but not those that actually live in the heart of Atlanta. A majority of business executives, who work in Atlanta, reside about 45 minutes away from Atlanta. This would make it impossible to make a same hour delivery when using a bike

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  3. UnknownApril 30, 2015 at 12:45 PM

    This blog is very interesting, because with this service as Miles said it would be great for cities in which there is heavy car traffic like New York, D.C, Chicago, etc. It's convenience would suit these cities because of the vast amount of individuals in these cities. The thing I find the most interesting is that this is something that was created and developed by a Morehouse graduate. This service would be a great asset for students who don't have a means of transportation, and need something done.

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  4. UnknownMay 5, 2015 at 5:10 PM

    I echo the other comments in saying that this is a great idea! I believe that this service could even be successful in other working areas and hubs such as Buckhead as it will be expanding to Atlanta. To really thrive, I would also say that this company can learn a lot from other similar services such as Uber and Lyft. People might be able to share the payments with others that are enjoying the same benefits. Also, this could provide as a potential solution to businesses in the surrounding area with high delivery costs (i.e. gas, vehicles).

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