Uber is reportedly attempting to acquire Postmates.
Angela Lang/CNET
Uber has made an offer to acquire the delivery service startup Postmates, the New York Times reported late Monday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter. A deal could comes as early as Monday night, the newspaper reported.
Sources told the newspaper that negotiations are still ongoing and could still end without a deal being struck.
The acquisition could provide a boost to UberEats, the ride-hailing startup’s food-delivery service. With many restaurants’ dining rooms closed during the coronavirus pandemic, many people have looked to delivery and pickup services like Postmates, UberEats, DoorDash and Grubhub for their meals. A survey by DoorDash in March found that 56% of 1,000 customers said their takeout consumption had increased because of the pandemic.
Uber was said to be looking to acquire rival food-delivery service GrubHub but reported exited merger talks amid antitrust concern. Grubhub now plans to merge with the Netherlands-based food delivery service Just Eat Takeaway in a deal worth $7.3 billion.
Postmates declined to comment, while Uber didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.