Yes, DoorDash is in Singapore, or has been, thanks to Deliveroo. But, just as Singapore is in steroids economically lately, the world’s number one food delivery app has announced it is exiting Singapore. Here’s the story.
DoorDash winds down in Singapore
Singapore is one of the markets that DoorDash will exit from this March, but those are just a few markets. Four? Ridesharing media reported this is part of a “strategic decision” to refocus investments on regions with stronger long-term growth prospects. Fair enough.
The app also reiterated that this withdrawal from Singapore follows a multi-month review of country-specific conditions and reflects its focus on markets where it envisions and sees the clearest path to sustainable scale and leadership. So, the stakes are higher.
Miki Kuusi, head of DoorDash International and the chief executive of Deliveroo, told Ridesharing Forum, “We’ve made the difficult decision to wind down operations in Qatar, Singapore, Japan, and Uzbekistan. Our priority is supporting our teams and partners through an orderly transition as we focus on the geographies where we can offer the best products and build for long-term success.”
DoorDash ensures the market and the economy that its exit from Singapore will be as smooth as possible, since they will be working closely with employees, merchants, consumers, riders, and couriers during the transition.
This exit comes months after DoorDash completed its acquisition of Deliveroo, following its formal entry into the Singaporean market.
The legacy of DoorDash in Singapore
Ah, it’s hard to say farewell to DoorDash in Singapore. During that time the market entry was announced, DoorDash co-founder and chief executive even said, “This is the beginning of a new chapter, not the end of an old one.”
Xu also pointed out that Deliveroo’s seven million active customers could expect a “faster, smarter, and more delightful” experience.
“When we started DoorDash in 2013, our mission was simple: grow and empower local economies. We wanted to create a world where every local business – small, medium, and large – could connect with every local consumer. We wanted to enable communities to thrive, with vibrant High Streets and ample opportunities for people to earn. It is a mission that we share with Deliveroo - a focus on serving the local communities where we operate – and is what has driven my admiration for what they’ve built over the past 13 years,” DoorDash and Deliveroo noted during that time.
Even the community was very excited hearing that news. Over on Reddit, consumers were commenting, “American problems mostly. And it’s like 90 percent about tips,” “Yeah, from what I heard, its usually because doordash pays drivers the worst out all platforms, and give the most generous refund/discount to its users so its an awful app for employees but a good app for customers,” and “Nope. They are buying deliveroo. They are not entering the market themselves.”
So, it was quite a conversation then, and for sure, people will be awkwardly quiet with this decision from DoorDash.