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The $3 Billion Dollar Gorilla in the Room! We Go Live with Matthew Nobbs of Gorillas.
Episode 782nd November 2021 • Beanstalk Global • Max MacGillivray
00:00:00 00:41:27

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One of the fastest growing start-ups in Europe, Gorillas is a potential harbinger of broader shifts in the bike delivery sector and the gig economy. We look to have a deep dive into their business with one of their key UK Directors to find out why they are definitely one to watch.

Founded in May 2020 and built on a promise to deliver groceries within 10 minutes to the consumer, Gorillas achieved the vaunted start-up "unicorn" status by reaching a $1 billion (€858 million) valuation after just nine months, the fastest ever German company to do so.  

Launched in Berlin, Gorillas now operates in nearly 60 cities in 9 countries in Europe and North America.  Gorillas is currently valued at $3 billion (€2.5 billion), while competitor Flink, founded in Berlin in December 2020, is valued at $2.1 billion (€1.8 billion). Since launching, part of Gorillas’ marketing efforts has been its focus on establishing better working conditions than rival delivery platforms.

The biggest long-term question is whether the grocery delivery model was merely a pandemic-fuelled fad or if it represents concrete shifts in consumptive behaviour. According to the Gig Economy Project, the food delivery sector has doubled in size since the start of the pandemic. Huge investments in companies like Gorillas and Flink indicate investors have faith in the model, and it is thought that grocery delivery is here to stay.

“In a sense, it’s part of how capitalism is continuously inventing new needs and requirements. We didn’t ever need to have our takeaways delivered to us did we?! We could have walked and picked them up. But now lots of people take it for granted that their takeaway will be delivered to them. Maybe it’s the same for groceries. Let’s see.” stated Max MacGillivray of Beanstalk.

Join us as we go live with Matthew Nobbs - Commercial Director for Gorillas UK, to find out about their disruptive business model and how they could be the future for retail.

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