Q. What is Lula?
A. Lula is both software (for connecting your inventory and pricing to the major delivery services as well as your own website or app for taking orders) AND a managed services provider (making the delivery program seamless an easier for you). Customers ordering delivery from you will not see Lula - they will see DoorDash, UberEats, GrubHub, SkiptheDishes, or your own website or app. Lula makes it operated easily in the background by connecting all options to one tablet.
Q. What is 3rd Party vs 1st Party?
A. 3rd Party refers to a channel where orders (or "demand") originate from a platform or marketplace like DoorDash, UberEats, GrubHub or SkiptheDishes in Canada. 1st Party refers to a channel where the demand originates from your own efforts - such as through your app or website directly.
Q. Why not just work with DoorDash or UberEats myself?
A. You can! Each of these marketplaces offers a way to connect directly, and each one has a set of loyal customers that are worth serving for greatest growth.
However, each one has:
its own tablet
its own requirements for operational performance
its own method for updating inventory and pricing (requiring separate submissions or integrations for each), and
its own account team to work with as you grow
Lula's existing merchants have repeatedly shared that working with each provider separately can quickly become unmanageable. Lula removes the workload and complexity. You work directly with Lula, and we publish your inventory and pricing to all channels, as well as bring all orders into one easy interface.
Q. How much does it cost (3rd Party)?
A. There are three components:
Base subscription fee
Lula revenue share (if applicable)
Delivery Service Provider ("DSP") costs
Lula makes it easy to begin delivery, or simplify your existing program. With Lula, you pay reduced 3rd party costs which are ~20% of delivery revenue per month (vs their standard 30% rates). Tablets are $299 per store, but discounts are available for larger orders. Contact us for more specifics based on your stores. Note that actual delivery prices through the DSPs may average out slightly different depending on your mix of the below order types.
DSP Current Pricing Table:
UberEats · Delivery: 20% · Pickup: 12%
| Grubhub · Delivery: 15% · Pickup: 0%
| DoorDash · Normal Delivery: 15% · DashPass Delivery: 25% · Double Dash (Secondary Orders): $1.90/order · Pickup Orders: 12% |
The actual pricing for any given month is determined by the mix of order types. If the majority of orders came from "Pickup" for example, your actual costs related to 3rd party marketplaces would be significantly lower.
Q. Can I mark up my item prices to cover the added expense?
A. Yes. You can designate a markup, and most consumers expect to pay more for items through delivery. There are a few strategies here - from straight 30% markup, to markups combined with reward offers or promotions that drive higher order volumes or basket sizes.
*Keep in mind that the DSP's charge their fees based on the price charged to the consumer, so if you mark up a $10 item 30% ($13.00), your DSP fee will be based on the $13.00 and not the $10.
Q. Can I deliver age-restricted items?
A. In most areas, yes. Delivery programs follow the state, county and local laws with regards to these programs. The simplest and best indicator is to open a delivery app (UberEats or DoorDash) and see what is available for delivery to your store in question (as a test). The delivery service providers handle ID checks, and dispatch only qualified drivers for delivery of these items.
Q. Can I designate which items I want delivered and which ones are in-store only?
A. Yes. Your selection is up to you. You can add or remove at any time. It is recommended that you list a larger portion of your inventory as Delivery Marketplaces measure search-to-cart data (did the customer find what they wanted) and tend to show customers stores with the most to offer from a selection standpoint.
Q. Is there a long term commitment?
A. No long term commitment. You can cancel with notice per terms.
Q. When I review my order history on the tablet, it looks like the pricing is not marked up? (if you mark up your items).
A: The reporting on the tablet shows you your retail pricing so you can match orders to your POS reporting.
Q. How do you update my inventory regularly?
A. We work with most backend systems. We setup an auto-refresh and update inventory and pricing regularly there. Contact us for more info.
Q. How do I get the funds from orders? When?
A. See our article on Payments and Calculations for a more complete rundown.
Q. How do I get started?
A. Complete the contact us form on our homepage, and we will be in touch!