Ordering groceries over the Internet has become increasingly popular, especially during the Corona period. But two well-known delivery services have now had to file for bankruptcy.
In many cities in Germany, people no longer have to go to the supermarket to buy groceries and everyday necessities. Instead, this is done by the numerous delivery services that deliver goods ordered online or via app directly to the front door in the shortest possible time. The concept has experienced a boom because of Corona, especially in the past two years. In the meantime, however, the situation has become much more difficult for some companies. Fresh post and GetFaster even had to file for bankruptcy.
Fresh mail – from takeover to insolvency
Fresh Post and GetFaster announced the bankruptcy at the end of July. In the case of fresh post, it comes as a relative surprise, because it was only announced in May that the company was to be taken over by the Berlin Footprint Club. Fresh mail started in 2015 and offers over its Online shop seasonal and regionally grown fruit and vegetables, sausage and cheese, but also baked goods, chips, pasta and more. The delivery service is mainly active in the Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne and Rhine-Main area.
With the takeover by Footprint Club, Fresh Post should become part of a network of different delivery services. The plan: combine the regionally competing delivery services on one platform and thus increase the range and save costs at the same time. But nothing came of it. As Business Insider writes, the takeover collapsed. This resulted in an enormous financial gap for Fresh Post, which has now led to insolvency.
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Despite the situation, the company continues to see the future positively. One is confident of finding a solution and wants to maintain operations for the time being. At the moment, however, Fresh Post is only active in Hamburg and has put operations in the other cities on hold. The 65 employees continue to be paid. “We are now holding intensive talks with companies that have long expressed an interest in a takeover,” says co-founder Eva Neugebauer.
GetFaster also files for bankruptcy
Another grocery delivery service currently struggling for cash is GetFaster. The service was particularly popular with customers because of its fast delivery time and the low minimum order value of 5 euros. Founded in Düsseldorf in 2020, the company not only operates there, but also in the cities of Berlin, Essen, Ratingen, Gelsenkirchen, Bottrop, Oberhausen, Neuss, Hilden and Gladbeck.
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According to GetFaster, its catalog includes more than 1,500 products, ranging from fresh fruit and vegetables, bread and sweets to household goods and fish and meat. “From a minimum order value of 5 euros, always at the supermarket price and with no hidden costs, you get all your groceries delivered to your home without having to carry bags,” is the promise.
Unlike Fresh Post, however, GetFaster has not yet given a specific reason for the bankruptcy. Also requests from food newspaper remained unanswered. However, GetFaster, like Fresh Post, is still active despite the insolvency. in the Online shop groceries can be ordered as usual.