The Turkish business said in a statement that it generates just 7% of its revenue from the markets it is exiting and plans to instead focus all of its financial resources on its operation in Türkiye.
Fellow grocery delivery service Gorillas, which was acquired by Getir in 2022, will also cease to operate in the UK.
It has been reported by Sky News that Getir currently employs 1,500 people in the UK in various capacities, with those jobs now thought to be under threat.
Until their exit from the UK, Getir and Gorillas allowed users to order food and drink products via its app which would then be delivered to the customer’s door.
Commenting on the decision, a spokesperson for Getir told Food Manufacture: “Getir expresses its sincere appreciation for the dedication and hard work of all its employees in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and the US.”
Getir also confirmed that its has completed a new investment round, led by Mubadala and G Squared, and will use that money to bolster its competitive position in its core food and grocery delivery businesses in Türkiye.
Commenting on the decision, F&B industry analyst and corporate finance director at Rollits Julian Wild told Food Manufacture that while the rapid grocery model introduced by players such as Getir and Gorillas expanded quickly during Covid, it proved not to be sustainable.
“They incurred huge costs and, post-pandemic, there was not enough demand for this type of grocery provider,” Wild added.
“I don’t believe that its problems were unique to the UK as the model has not worked elsewhere in Europe. It shows the dangers of throwing so much capital so quickly at an unproven provider. Lots of fingers get burnt.”
In other news, a drinks company has been fined £14k after an employee had to have his finger amputated following an incident involving a bottling machine.
