Uber wants customers to bulk buy rides, restaurants to batch cook value meals

The company is already making more trips and deliveries than ever.

9/24/25 7:21AM

Whether you’re a delivery fiend with a penchant for a popular dish from a local spot, or you’re someone who makes the same monotonous cab ride multiple times a month, Uber wants to make your routine a little cheaper.

Yesterday, the company announced a raft of changes across its services, with The Verge presenting one new feature — where riders can bulk buy 5, 10, 15, or 20 passes for the same route at a discounted rate — as an attempt to “chip away at the perception that its ride-hailing service is too expensive.”

Similarly, “Meal Deals,” a new Uber Eats offering, is also designed to save users a bit of cash, with a range of popular dishes prepped in batches at local restaurants priced at $15 or less, including fees.

With a renewed focus on its power customers, Uber’s latest initiatives might help the company book a few extra trips. However, its riders and drivers are already busier than ever, with the number of deliveries and taxi rides booked through Uber hitting record highs as it is.

In 2018, Uber was clocking just over 1.1 billion “trips” (a composite measure of the number of rides and food delivery orders completed on the platform) in the first three months of its fiscal year. In the last quarter, it notched almost 3x more than that, as users hopped into cabs and ordered private burrito taxis a staggering 3.27 billion times on the platform across Q2.

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Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy.

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

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Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: “smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave” when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, “ask whether they need help or how their day is going,” according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the “10-4 program” internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmart’s own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.