Hyperdrive
Grannies in Running Shoes Are Delivering Ramen for Uber in Japan
- Eats delivery seen as good match for senior supply, demand
- Uber’s business in Japan hasn’t matched global growth
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Uber Technologies Inc.’s strategy for Japan, where ride-sharing is banned, is as unique as the country itself — think grandma in running shoes delivering ramen noodles.
Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi was in the country this week to stress the importance of the market, where the San Francisco-based company has built a growing food-delivery business but kept rides limited to black-car hires and taxi dispatches. The archipelago is also home to Uber’s biggest shareholder, SoftBank Group Corp., and where he’s planning to boost staff in the coming year.