According to the company, the markets from which Getir departs are responsible for only 7 percent of global turnover. The company’s employees will be further informed about the course of events on Monday. In order to guarantee both the company’s withdrawal from the aforementioned countries and its own future, Getir completed a new investment round last week. The money will also be used to strengthen the Turkish branch of the company.
Getir closes twenty branches in the Netherlands. Eight of these are in Amsterdam. Getir said in a response that it will take ‘good’ care of its employees, and says that everyone will receive ‘an offer for a reasonable severance package’. “The unions have already been informed of our intention and the process,” said a company spokesperson.
Trade union FNV hopes to be able to quickly make agreements with Getir about a social plan. “There should be a work-to-work process or employees should receive money so that they have time to find a new job,” says Frank van Bennekom of FNV Young & United.
Under pressure
Getir has been under pressure for some time. In August, the company laid off about 10 percent of its total workforce, which amounted to about 2,500 jobs. The company also withdrew from Spain, Portugal and Italy.
Flash delivery companies such as Getir grew rapidly during the corona pandemic and for investors the sector was seen as a goose with golden eggs. But in Amsterdam, that growth also came with many problems. Local residents of the buildings they live in often cause a lot of nuisance. And according to the municipality, the zoning plans of many of those buildings did not provide any opportunity for flash delivery companies.
Many lawsuits followed, with the municipality always winning and Getir having to close several branches. Ultimately, Amsterdam even introduced a special zoning plan for flash delivery companies, which meant that the companies could only locate outside residential areas.
Fewer orders due to high inflation
It wasn’t just the municipality that was bothering flash deliverers. After the corona pandemic had ended, developments in the global economy did not help. Due to high inflation, people had less to spend, which made them less likely to order groceries from flash delivery companies, which are more expensive than traditional supermarkets. In addition, interest rates rose sharply, making it more difficult for companies to borrow capital. Investors – who also saw their sources of money drying up – demanded that Getir become profitable faster.
In total, Getir’s adventure in the Netherlands lasted less than four years. At the end of 2020, the German flash delivery company Gorillas was the first to arrive in the city, followed by fellow countryman Flink and then the Turkish pioneer Getir and the British Zapp.
Zapp was the first to disappear from the Amsterdam streets. In Amsterdam, Gorillas took over the three remaining Zapp locations and part of the workforce in July 2022. At the end of 2022, Gorillas – whose company value had halved in a year – was acquired by Getir for reportedly ‘only’ 1.6 billion euros. Another year and a half later, Getir closes the door behind it in the Netherlands and takes Gorillas with it in its fall.
Due to the departure of Getir and Gorillas, Flink remains the only flash delivery company in the Netherlands.
About the author: Jesper Roele has been writing since 2019 Het Parool about everyday news from Amsterdam, festivals, nightlife and techsector. You can send tips to [email protected].
