Uber Plans European Expansion

American technology company Uber plans to expand its Uber Eats food delivery business to seven new European countries by 2026. This expansion includes countries such as the Czech Republic, Greece, Romania, Austria, Denmark, Finland, and Norway. Through this move, Uber aims to achieve approximately 1 billion additional gross bookings within the next three years. Susan Anderson, Uber's global head of delivery, states that the European food delivery market still holds significant growth potential, and the company is prepared to offer customers better value and faster service. During the Covid-19 pandemic, online food delivery services saw a surge in demand, and although growth has since slowed, analysts indicate that with rising urban lifestyles and increased digital usage, the sector continues to advance steadily. Especially in Eastern Europe and the Nordic regions, where online delivery penetration remains lower than in Western Europe, Uber believes there is a long-term growth opportunity.

This expansion further strengthens Uber Eats' position to compete with strong European rivals like Deliveroo, Just Eat Takeaway, and Glovo. Recently, Uber agreed to acquire the delivery division of Turkey's Getir, which is also seen as part of its efforts to accelerate international expansion. Uber Eats has already diversified beyond food to include groceries, pharmacy items, and convenience goods delivery. Through this varied business model, the company’s long-term goal is to meet customers' daily needs all within a single platform. Moving forward, Uber plans to focus more on using AI and data analytics to improve delivery efficiency, reduce delivery times, and provide better business insights to restaurants and merchants. This move will intensify competition in the European food delivery market, worth billions of euros, and is considered a significant step for Uber to strengthen its global delivery business.