Uber has paused most of its planned food delivery expansion across Europe.
The company had intended to expand later this year into seven countries, including Austria, Norway, and Greece, but sources told the Financial Times that five of these plans have now been dropped.
Insiders suggest the decision is linked to Uber’s bid to acquire German competitor Delivery Hero, which may face scrutiny from European Union regulators.
The overlap between the two companies’ markets is significant and could prompt an EU competition investigation. Uber previously made a €10 billion offer for Delivery Hero in May, which was rejected, but it remains intent on pursuing the acquisition.
In February, Uber had announced plans to grow its European food delivery service in countries such as Denmark, Finland, Czechia, and Romania. It aims to scale operations to compete with rivals like Deliveroo and Wolt, which is owned by US company DoorDash.
The move is part of a broader strategy to generate $1 billion (€873.9 million) in additional revenue over the next three years.
Uber told the Financial Times that its expansion pause followed “great success” in launches in Finland and Denmark, and the company now intends to focus on sustaining growth in existing markets.
Uber Eats currently operates in Belgium, alongside competitors like Deliveroo.
The company’s expansion plans face challenges, however. Susan Anderson, Uber’s head of delivery, stepped down last month after only a year in the role.
