Lyft’s struggles to compete with Uber in the ride-hailing industry have become increasingly apparent over the past year. With its market share slipping to 26% from 38% in 2020, while Uber now has 74% of the US rideshare market, its stock has plunged nearly 90% since it went public in 2019. The company’s business model is heavily focused on ridesharing, which has limited potential for growth. However, the appointment of a new CEO, David Risher, has created optimism among investors that he can turn things around.
Prioritizing customer experience and basics
Incoming CEO David Risher is a former Amazon executive who is focused on improving Lyft’s business and taking on Uber. Top priority for him is providing a great experience to customers, with a focus on basics like being on time and pricing. According to Risher, Lyft needs to ensure that it is providing a reliable and consistently excellent ride-hailing service before moving into other markets such as delivering food or packages.
Returning Lyft’s footing against Uber
Lyft’s stock price has fallen 76% in the past year due to marketshare loss to Uber. Despite the challenges, analysts believe that Lyft still has levers it can pull to regain market share under the new leadership change. Risher is expected to bring strong operational execution to Lyft and is comfortable with making cuts to the organization to improve cost efficiency. However, it may take some time for Lyft to regain its footing against Uber.
Competing against rival Uber
Lyft faces a tough competitor in Uber, which is run by a seasoned executive who has worked hard to cut costs and grow its meal delivery business during the pandemic. In contrast, Lyft never diversified beyond ride-hailing by delivering meals and grocery items. This decision arguably hurt the company during the pandemic, as customers sought out delivery services rather than ride-hailing. Lyft needs to move aggressively into other markets or verticals to transform its business into a diversified one if it wants to compete more effectively.
Analysis of Lyft’s business and future prospects for investors
Lyft’s core business has been negatively impacted by the pandemic, and its stock has declined nearly 70% since then. Uber’s success in expanding into other verticals has posed a challenge for Lyft. The company’s lack of pricing power and ease of consumer and driver migration between apps are significant challenges facing the company. Even if Lyft does move into other verticals, it may not be a compelling investment opportunity for shareholders.
Focus on providing a great ride-hailing service
Lyft’s recent earnings report was unusually disappointing for Wall Street, with a tech analyst calling it a “debacle for the ages”. Risher wants Lyft to focus on providing a great ride-hailing service and not get distracted by delivering food or packages. Pursuing a sale of the company is not the focus for now, but Lyft remains open to options.
In conclusion, Lyft is seeking to regain its footing against Uber with a new CEO and a focus on improving its core ride-hailing business. Customer experience and basics like being on time and pricing are top priorities for Risher, who is focused on cost efficiency in order to compete more effectively with Uber. While there are challenges facing Lyft in terms of market share and competition, analysts believe that the company still has potential to turn things around under new leadership.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
