Grocery delivery firm Getir to pull out of UK with about 1,500 jobs at risk to 'focus on Turkey'

Istanbul-based grocery delivery firm Getir is set to leave the UK, Europe and the US to focus on its home market, resulting in the loss of about 1,500 jobs in Britain. The company, once valued at £9.5 billion, said it now only makes about 7% of its revenue outside of Turkey after international growth plans stalled.

The announcement comes after speculation that Getir’s UK and European operations were struggling financially, following its decision to pull out of Italy and Spain last year. The company's latest move is ex[ected to halt its rapid expansion throughout the regions since the pandemic.

Getir will also exit Germany and the Netherlands, its only remaining EU markets, as well as the US. The firm’s separate US subsidiary, FreshDirect, will continue operations, it said. The rapid delivery company said the move would allow it to “focus its financial resources on Turkey”.

It added: “In parallel, Getir has raised a new investment round, led by Mubadala and G Squared. Getir will utilise these funds to bolster its competitive position in its core food and grocery delivery businesses in Turkey. 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 was among the fast-growing grocery delivery companies that experienced significant expansion during the Covid-19 pandemic, driven by increased consumer demand during lockdowns. It reached a valuation of $12 billion in 2022 and even acquired its rival, Gorillas, in December 2022 for £96 million. However, with the return to physical shopping, profit margins dwindled, leading to a reduction of 14% of its workforce in 2023, which then stood at 23,000 staff across Europe.

Similar to competitors like Deliveroo and Just Eat, which collectively announced over 2,000 job cuts in the past 18 months, Getir faced the need to streamline its operations. Earlier reports from Sky News indicated an impending reduction in Getir's UK workforce, affecting 1,500 employees including warehouse staff, managers, and riders. However, the exact number of job cuts was not confirmed by a spokesperson on Monday.