Areo was an app Google launched in India in 2017. It aimed to provide all kinds of home services and food delivery in one place. Users could search for meals or set up an appointment with local cleaners, plumbers, electricians, and other professionals.
Google acted as a middleman and partnered with businesses such as UrbanClap and Zimmber for home services. For food delivery, they connected users to Freshmenu, Box8, Foodpanda, and Faaso.
The service wasn’t overly successful. Within a year and a half of being released, it had reached only 1 million downloads – something unremarkable for a market as big as the Indian one.
Furthermore, most of the app’s users experienced numerous issues with the service. For example, they would have charges on their accounts, get a confirmation for their order, and later the provider would cancel it.
The companies that partnered with Google for the project also didn’t find the tool all that useful. The service had little traction, and the businesses received few customers through it. People just preferred to use the Google Search option to find the providers directly.
Additionally, Google’s strategy for the tool was a bit unclear. It didn’t seem to be targeting a particular audience, wouldn’t have any useful user data except about made transactions, and the service information available on the app wasn’t adequate.
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