London Calling: Turkish Delivery App Getir Expands Internationally

Turkish Delivery App Getir Expands Internationally

Getir, a Turkish grocery delivery service whose motor scooter-riding drivers aim to reach customers within 10 minutes of the placing of orders, announced on Twitter that it has set up shop in London.

A tweet from the company’s official account, accompanied by a photograph of a driver in a yellow and purple suit standing next to a yellow and purple scooter with a delivery box on the back, states: “London, we’ve arrived! We’re @getir, the pioneers of super-fast delivery. Groceries in minutes, now in London.”

“Getir” translates into English as “bring.”

TRTWorld reported that Getir, which operates in 10 cities in Turkey, saw a significant boost in business when restrictions related to COVID-19 took effect.

According to Crunchbase, the company has raised about $170 million from investors including billionaire Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital. The funding, according to Crunchbase, came through a December 2017 convertible note for $4 million; a January 2016 Series A round for $38 million; and a January Series B round for $128 million.

Bloomberg reported that Getir’s has had its valuation put at more than $800 million, in part due to the company’s strength during the pandemic.

Getir is an emerging player in what some observers are calling the “bring it to me” economy, PYMNTS’ Karen Webster wrote.

In her forecast for 2021, Webster predicted that many business owners will conclude this year that digital channels are not just one contact point with customers but are the new “front door” for interacting with them.

PYMNTS surveys of tens of thousands of customers over the past year found they preferred delivery by a margin of 3-to-1 even at a cost above curbside pickup.