Gorillas closes its business in Italyleaving home i 540 employees and collaborators. The German startup that delivers groceries to customers’ homes is becoming one of the most used in the world. But he prefers to leave our country for focus on “more profitable markets”.
Gorillas closes in Italy, goodbye to the startup for home delivery of groceries
Gorillas was born in Germany in May 2020, shortly after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. A perfect startup for lockdowns: in fact, it allows you to order groceries and receive them directly at home in ten minutes. In a few months he has raised 1.3 billion dollars and reached a record valuation: three billion dollars in just a year and a half.
In Italy the company has brought the service to Rome, Turin, Milan, Florence and Bergamo. He took it 540 people, of which 75 with permanent contracts (including two managers). For which the collective dismissal procedure begins.
The reopening of the last period, however, is rapidly changing the picture, together with inflation and supply problems. After the latest billionaire round of financing as of October 2021, the company no longer raised funds.
Already in May it announced that it would cut costs by reducing staff to cope with the downturn in the market. Now the company says it will focus its efforts on Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands and the US. Choice made “in order to strengthen growth in the key markets from which most of the revenues derive (90%) “.
In Italy Gorillas is evaluating alternatives, such as the possible sale of corporate assets. But at the moment there are no “gradual” offers process of closing the business in Italy “.
Gorilla bellboys have the national collective agreement for logistics workers. The collective dismissal procedures will begin for them, although at the moment it is not clear what agreement they can reach with the unions.