• Uber Eats is looking to solve last-minute Christmas shopping woes
• New ordering tools allow for order editing, replacement preferences and even buying actual gifts
• Brits apparently order huge amounts of Christmas food at the final hour

Uber Eats is hoping to take the stress out of last-minute grocery orders or panicked present buying this Christmas.

The delivery app has revealed a host of useful new features, including the ability to add items or edit quantities at any time before a delivery arrives, along with a feature allowing users to specify exactly what kind of item replacements they’ll allow.

But that’s not all – Uber Eats is also looking to position itself as a shopping destination, with a new Gifting Hub offering users an array of last-minute present options.

Uber Eats saves Christmas

Uber Eats says the new features were influenced by the huge spikes it saw in last-minute ordering last Christmas, as desperate hosts or party guests searched for vital items or present ideas.

The company hopes its new on-demand gifting hub, featuring partners such as Boots and John Lewis, will be a one-stop-shop for last minute gifts ranging from cards and candles to perfume, prosecco, and even AirPods, delivered directly to your door.

The company says shoppers ordered a bottle of Baileys to their door every 20 seconds last Christmas Eve, and stunningly enough, users even searched for over three tonnes of Turkey on Christmas Day itself.

The new live order editing function will let users change items or quantities right up until the moment your shopper puts them in the cart, meaning there’s no need to cancel or start a new order.

In-store staff can also now collect the items for multiple orders at once using a new batch picking tool, meaning they can organize ‘batch picking’ by each section of the store and make the packing process more efficient.

We’ve all dealt with frustratingly bad replacement items in an online shop, but the new replacement preferences feature will let users decide exactly what kind of alternative they’d prefer, with smart suggestions offered based on price and past orders, and choices saved for future orders.

“Christmas is a magical time, but it can also be incredibly hectic,” noted Katie Hunter, General Manager of Grocery & Retail at Uber Eats UK.

“Whether you’re cooking for ten, dashing to a party, or buying the perfect gifts, Uber Eats is helping customers get what they need, when and where they need it. We’re also committed to helping our retail partners grow during this critical period, with the tools, insights, and tech to help them stay competitive and deliver a seamless on-demand experience.”

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Mike Moore is Deputy Editor at TechRadar Pro. He has worked as a B2B and B2C tech journalist for nearly a decade, including at one of the UK’s leading national newspapers and fellow Future title ITProPortal, and when he’s not keeping track of all the latest enterprise and workplace trends, can most likely be found watching, following or taking part in some kind of sport.