Getir, Europe’s most valuable speedy grocery startup, said Tuesday it was buying its smaller UK competitor Weezy. It’s the latest consolidation in a fiercely competitive industry where investors say only one or two big winners will emerge.
Getir said Tuesday that the acquisition “further solidifies Getir’s long-term commitment to the UK market”. Founded in 2019, Weezy operates in London, Manchester, Brighton and Bristol. The company’s 700 employees will join Getir. No sale price was given.
Based in Turkey, Getir launched in Europe earlier this year, promising to bring everyday grocery items to homes in a matter of minutes with the use of a mobile app. The service was the most downloaded speedy grocery app in Europe this year, according to App Radar. The company, which has raised more than $1bn, also launched in the US earlier this month, one of only two European services to make the jump across the Atlantic to date.
It’s not the only acquisition in the speedy grocery sector. US on-demand grocery giant Gopuff bought two UK competitors, Dija and Fancy, this year.
People with knowledge of the matter say that Gopuff also looked into acquiring Weezy. In Europe, Weezy only had 85,000 downloads on the Google Play store this year, compared to Getir’s 7.7 million.
Additional reporting by Amy Lewin.