“Being a parent is tougher than ever at the moment, so we wanted to do our bit to help bring families together and keep the children entertained while opportunities for days out are more limited,” said Toussaint Wattinne, general manager of Uber Eats, UK and Ireland. While a limited range of non-takeaway or food items are available on courier apps – such as cleaning products and toiletries from supermarkets – the platforms haven’t until now launched dedicated non-food stores. Uber Eats does list toys and pet suppliers and florists in other regions. The new approach for the UK “should be seen as the start of a deepening retail offer” said Dr Kris Hamer, VP Research at Retail Insight.