Uber is launching a pop-up shop on the UK’s busiest shopping street, bringing a range of products and services designed by some of its drivers and couriers to the public for the first time.

The pop-up store, which will be open on Oxford Street throughout October, is part of Uber’s commitment to help its drivers, couriers and restaurant partners achieve their ambitions and entrepreneurial dreams.

The store, open Monday to Thursday, will give Uber drivers, Uber Eats couriers and restaurateurs an opportunity to try their products on shoppers and showcase their business ideas to the general public. It is the latest initiative in Uber’s Empowering Journeys project in collaboration with Enterprise Nation, the support network for small businesses.

It forms the final stage of the Empowering Journeys process for 2021. The entrepreneurs will be able to try out their sales pitches, as well as get consumer feedback before securing grants to further expand their businesses.

The success of Empowering Journeys

Founded in November 2020 to provide funding, mentoring and support to the wider Uber community through the pandemic, the Empowering Journeys scheme provides three programmes: one for drivers and couriers that use the Uber app, called Business Builder; one for small businesses on Uber Eats, called Restaurant Hub; and a third, called Food Fellowship, set up to support aspiring food entrepreneurs.

To date, 76 business ideas from Uber drivers and couriers have been funded as part of the Business Builder initiative, putting it on track to fund its target of 100 projects by 2022. Each of these business founders have been given training sessions with senior advisers at Enterprise Nation and received grants of between £2,000 and £10,000. A selection of these will now be given the opportunity to sell their products and showcase their services at an Oxford Street pop-up provided by co-retail space startup, Sook.

Other pop-up participants include the eight entrepreneurs who successfully completed the six-week Food Fellowship programme. All eight worked at Karma Kitchens, the ethical dark kitchen company and will have the opportunity to sell their food and offer samples to shoppers at next month’s pop-up.

The pop-up space, with Sook

Running every Monday-Thursday throughout October, the Sook Space opens on 4 October and is located at 58 Oxford Street, W1D 1BH.

Emma Jones CBE, founder of Enterprise Nation, said: “Starting your own business, taking that leap of faith and trusting your own ability to graft and ‘go alone’ is what being an entrepreneur is all about. By default, individuals who sign up to become an Uber driver or courier have already demonstrated those attributes and Business Builder is all about encouraging that mindset further to help those individuals build even bigger business portfolios. We’re delighted to be able to announce the launch of our pop-up space with Sook on Oxford Street and excited to be able to continue to see the benefits of our wider Empowering Journeys initiative with Uber.”