After years of being dominated by Lieferando, Germany’s food delivery market is about to open up for a new competitor: Uber Eats. The first delivery services will begin in Berlin in a few weeks' time.
For some time, restaurateurs in Germany have been seeking alternatives for Lieferando, due to the comparatively high costs it charges when pitted against other delivery services. Uber Eats has already gotten several restaurants in Berlin on board with its plans to venture into the country, and it hopes to begin services across the capital in the coming weeks.
Even with Lieferando, the majority of restaurants in Germany deliver food themselves. The introduction of Uber Eats into the country represents another means for restaurants to have their food transported to customers on their behalf by local couriers, so they can focus purely on making food.
Uber has also seen a surge in demand for food delivery services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, and has seen a reduction in need for its taxi services, since people have stopped using transportation services. This therefore makes now a good time for the company to begin operating its food delivery services across Germany.
Just Eat Takeaway, the parent company of Lieferando, seems unfazed by Uber Eats’ launch in the country.
CEO Jitse Groen recently stated that Lieferando’s main competitor in Germany is still the telephone, rather than Deliveroo or Uber Eats - showing the nation’s tendency to shy away from online delivery and instead order food by phone.