Uber had planned an aggressive expansion of Uber Eats across Europe. Those ambitions have suddenly changed. The company is now slowing its rollout while pursuing a deal that could reshape the continent’s food delivery industry.
Uber has put most of its European food delivery expansion on hold. The company has suspended launches in five of the seven countries it planned to enter this year. Austria, Norway and Greece are among the affected markets. Finland and Denmark remain on track after successful launches earlier this year.
The decision marks a sharp shift from Uber’s earlier growth strategy. In February, the company announced plans to expand Uber Eats into seven new European markets. Executives estimated the move could generate $1 billion in additional gross bookings over the next three years. A much larger opportunity now appears to have taken priority.
Uber continues to pursue Delivery Hero, one of Europe’s largest food delivery companies. The Berlin-based firm owns several well-known brands, including Foodora, Glovo and efood, giving it a strong presence across the continent. The takeover effort has gathered momentum in recent months.
Delivery Hero disclosed in May that Uber offered €33 per share to acquire the company. Uber has also increased its ownership stake from 25% to nearly 37% after buying additional shares from investor Aspex Management. Neither company has officially linked the expansion pause to the acquisition talks.
Uber instead highlighted the strong performance of Uber Eats in Finland and Denmark. A company spokesperson told the Financial Times that Uber wants to focus on maintaining momentum in markets where recent launches have already succeeded.
Industry analysts believe another factor may be influencing the strategy. Delivery Hero already operates across many of the markets Uber planned to enter. Delaying expansion could reduce competitive overlap and simplify any future review by European antitrust regulators if acquisition talks move forward.
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The move reflects a broader shift across the food delivery industry. Companies once competed by expanding into as many cities and countries as possible. Today’s priorities look different.
Investors increasingly reward profitability, operational efficiency and strategic acquisitions instead of rapid geographic expansion. Uber Eats remains one of the world’s biggest delivery platforms.
Europe, however, remains one of its toughest battlegrounds. Delivery Hero, Deliveroo, DoorDash-owned Wolt and several regional operators continue competing aggressively for customers across the region. Buying Delivery Hero would dramatically strengthen Uber’s position overnight.
Building that same footprint country by country could take years and require billions of dollars in investment. Regulators are expected to examine any deal closely. A merger between two major delivery platforms could significantly reshape competition across Europe, making regulatory approval far from certain.
Uber’s latest move reveals how the company’s priorities are evolving. Launching in new markets still matters. Owning one of Europe’s largest delivery networks could matter much more. Whether that strategy succeeds now depends less on expansion and more on negotiations, regulators and one acquisition that could redefine the future of food delivery in Europe.
