Did somebody say menu-robbed? Deliveroo shuts business in Australia
Food delivery company, Deliveroo, announced this afternoon that it is shutting down the entirety of its Australian business.
The company sent an email to customers saying it has made the “difficult decision” to “leave Australia”.
The email went on to say, “In Australia, we have concluded that achieving a sustainable position of leadership in the market is not possible without a disproportionate level of investment which would have highly uncertain returns.”
That’s business jargon for “we couldn’t keep up with the likes of Menulog, and simply couldn’t afford to have Katy Perry sing our praises”. Pretty much.
Not only has the company shut shop, it has gone into voluntary administration, which means many of its suppliers – ie: restaurants still owed money – might never see that cash.
Deliveroo has kept its app online, in case businesses require it for accounting purposes, but says this, too, will be kaput within six months.
What Deliveroo didn’t do is explain how it might assist its many delivery drivers and riders, who of course are now out of a job.
This isn’t the first country in which Deliveroo’s business has gone bum-up. The company closed its operations in Spain and The Netherlands earlier this year, and stopped operating in Germany in 2019.
That’s a lot of home delivery options now going the way of the company’s one-time competitors.
Personally, I’d have preferred more options… and healthier competition. Or just chuck them all aside and pick up a menu that deals with my local Chinese direct.
Antonino Tati
CREAM MAGAZINE 
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