After a recent move to acquire the delivery arm of Türkiye's Getir, Uber plans to roll out its delivery business into seven new European countries this year as it eyes expansion, according to a report on Sunday.
The expansion push comes as tech groups ramp up their efforts in the multibillion-euro food-delivery market, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Sunday.
Accordingly, the U.S.-based company, primarily known for its ride-hailing services, will launch services in markets including Czechia, Greece and Romania as part of a move it hopes will deliver an additional $1 billion in gross bookings over the next three years, the report said.
Susan Anderson, global head of delivery at Uber, told the newspaper it was time to "raise the bar, shake things up and deliver better value across the category."
According to the report, the move will also see penetration into Austria, Denmark, Finland and Norway.
It also comes amid a wave of consolidation in the highly competitive European food delivery market. Several acquisitions took place last year.
Uber did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for further comment on Europe-related plans.
Earlier this month, Uber agreed to acquire the delivery arm of Türkiye's Getir from Emirati-controlling shareholder Mubadala to expand its Turkish footprint.
Anderson said this would "complement" Uber’s existing operation, Trendyol Go, in the country.
"By bringing those two companies together, we’re able to continue to deliver to the restaurant merchants all the demand they’ve been used to, but also be able to consolidate and use our global tech within that market," she told FT.
European expansion comes as Uber’s market share has continued to grow in its largest markets in Europe, including the U.K., Germany, France and Spain, the FT report said.
The push toward the food delivery segment also comes as Uber’s shares have come under pressure over the past few months, linked to investors' concerns about the impact of rival groups expanding their driverless taxi services around the world.
