Delivery service Getir exits U.S.; FreshDirect to continue operating

Rapid-delivery company Getir said it will wind down its operations in the U.S. and Europe to focus on its home market of Turkey.

FreshDirect, the New York-based grocery ecommerce company that Getir acquired last year, will continue to operate, a spokesperson for FreshDirect told Supermarket News.

“We are committed to guaranteeing a seamless and uninterrupted process, maintaining the exceptional service our customers have grown accustomed to,” said Lauren Jangl, the FreshDirect spokesperson.

Getir, which had expanded rapidly in Europe and the U.S. amid a surge in demand for ecommerce during the pandemic, had recently said it was considering restructuring its operations. The company launched in the U.S. in 2021 in New York City, Boston, and Chicago with the promise of 10-minute delivery of an assortment of about 1,500 everyday items.

Since that time, rapid-delivery services have struggled to generate traction. In December 2022, Getir acquired rival Gorillas for about $1.2 billion, and in 2023 it was reportedly in discussions to buy German delivery company Flink before it acquired FreshDirect in the U.S.

In addition to its U.S. operations, Getir also said it would exit from Germany, The Netherlands, and the U.K. In July of last year, the company shuttered its operations in Italy, Spain, and Portugal.

It was not immediately clear what the ownership structure for FreshDirect would look like following Getir’s exit from its other delivery operations in the U.S. Before being acquired by Getir last year, FreshDirect had been owned by the U.S. arm of Ahold Delhaize.

In a statement to media, Getir said it had raised funds in a new investment round led by current investors Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth fund Mubadala and venture capital firm G Squared to bolster its core business in Turkey.

The company had previously raised nearly $2 billion in funding via several rounds of financing, including $768 million in 2022 before it acquired Gorillas.