Simply over a yr after getting into the Japanese market, Germany’s meals supply group Supply Hero — recognized for its Foodpanda model in Asia — introduced it was pulling out, citing elevated competitors and a scarcity of drivers.
The divestment highlights the challenges for meals supply operators in Japan and elsewhere in Asia, the place regional gamers face off towards international giants. Although the supply market is anticipated to proceed to develop, operators are being compelled to rethink their progress technique, with analysts saying extra business consolidation is anticipated within the coming years.
Supply Hero entered Japan by way of its Foodpanda model in September 2020. Relying on rising demand for meals supply as a result of Covid-19 pandemic, the corporate had anticipated that the world’s third-largest economic system can be an necessary marketplace for the group and funnelled plenty of assets into establishing operations there.
Foodpanda chief govt Jakob Angele, who leads the corporate’s Asia-Pacific operations from its Singapore headquarters, stayed in Japan for 3 months from late 2020 to early 2021 to construct the enterprise within the new market. With profitable experiences in varied markets — from extremely developed Singapore and Taiwan to rising Bangladesh — Foodpanda was assured in its Japan entry. It began off in giant cities corresponding to Kobe, Yokohama and Nagoya, with an intention of finally increasing its quick supply enterprise past meals.
However as a latecomer to Japan, the group confronted stiff competitors.
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Main the Japanese market are two contributors: Uber Applied sciences and native operator Demae-can, a Tokyo-listed firm backed by well-liked messaging app Line. In keeping with the US operator, Uber’s meals supply service Uber Eats has about 130,000 eating places and different shops on its Japanese platform. Demae-can introduced on December 24 that it had surpassed 100,000 shops. Each providers are nonetheless investing aggressively to amass customers — Demae-can reported a web lack of ¥20.6bn ($179m) for the fiscal yr resulted in August.
Foodpanda has not disclosed the variety of eating places on its platform within the nation. However its presence has been weaker than the 2 giants. Of about 3,600 respondents to a web based survey performed in February by Japan’s ICT Analysis and Consulting, 428 individuals mentioned they used Demae-can, whereas 426 individuals mentioned Uber. Simply 34 used Foodpanda.
As well as, Covid-driven demand drew different operators: Uber’s US rival DoorDash entered Japan in June. DoorDash has additionally expanded after its current €7bn ($8bn) acquisition of Finland’s Wolt, which had been working in Japan since March 2020. Chinese language ride-hailing large Didi Chuxing additionally launched a meals supply enterprise in Osaka in 2020 and has since expanded its service to eight prefectures.
“Since launching the service, the panorama of the Japanese market modified considerably,” a Foodpanda consultant in Singapore informed Nikkei Asia, after the divestment announcement. “Exterior elements, corresponding to an elevated variety of gamers and a scarcity of riders, resulted in new floor realities towards the top of this yr.”
Foodpanda’s divestment primarily displays Japan’s aggressive supply market — the place smaller operators face difficulties attracting clients and supply employees. However an identical state of affairs can be seen in different Asian markets, the place US, European and native firms are locked in fierce competitors, whereas advertising prices for buying clients and drivers hinder profitability.
In Singapore, for instance, Foodpanda and Deliveroo of the UK chase homegrown superapp Seize in a three-way combat. The Indonesian market is extra of a battle amongst Asian firms. Native superapp Gojek’s GoFood and Seize’s GrabFood are the most important gamers, however Singaporean tech peer Sea has quickly expanded its ShopeeFood supply service in Indonesia over the previous yr.
Earlier than Foodpanda introduced its exit from Japan, business consolidation within the area was already beneath means. In July, Gojek bought most of its Thai enterprise, together with meals supply, to Malaysia’s AirAsia. Gojek had a 7 per cent share of Thailand’s meals supply market in 2020, falling behind Seize at 50 per cent, Foodpanda at 23 per cent and Line at 20 per cent, in accordance with analysis by Singaporean consultancy Momentum Works.
The meals supply business is anticipated to develop in lots of markets. For instance, in south-east Asia, the full gross merchandise worth of the sector is projected to extend to $23bn in 2025 from $12bn in 2021, in accordance with a report launched in November by Google, Temasek Holdings and Bain & Co. In Japan, the ICT Analysis and Consulting’s report confirmed the market dimension will develop 38 per cent to ¥682bn from 2020 to 2023.
However Foodpanda’s Japan exit suggests not everybody will essentially profit from this progress. “The meals supply platform is finally a comparatively low-margin enterprise that should construct large quantity and density to be worthwhile,” Jianggan Li, chief govt of Momentum Works, informed Nikkei Asia.
Altering regulatory environments might additionally have an effect on earnings, prompting operators to rethink progress fashions. For instance, in August, Singapore’s prime minister Lee Hsien Loong expressed concern over supply staff’ low wages and known as for extra safety, which might lead to larger welfare bills for platform operators. In some western jurisdictions, there’s already a pattern in direction of requiring firms to deal with drivers as workers reasonably than impartial contractors. The latter strategy helps operators hold prices down however offers fewer protections for drivers.
As battles warmth up throughout Asia, many operators are increasing into grocery supply and different on-demand fulfilment providers.
Because it leaves Japan, Foodpanda mentioned it could increase its “fast commerce” grocery supply service in different markets. “We’re consistently figuring out new progress alternatives inside the area, in several markets, progress areas and new verticals, primarily within the space of fast commerce,” the Foodpanda consultant mentioned.
Seize, which can also be increasing its GrabMart grocery supply, introduced the acquisition of a Malaysian grocery store chain in December, which might assist increase its grocery supply enterprise.
“Competitors stays fierce,” mentioned Li, noting that some operators have been well-capitalised. “The problem for every participant, subsequently, is learn how to hold rising quantity and density whereas on the similar time enhancing the effectivity of operations in any respect ranges. They should do all these in a extremely aggressive surroundings.”
Foodpanda plans to promote its Japan enterprise within the first quarter of 2022. The divestment was a “very troublesome resolution”, the corporate mentioned. However there could possibly be extra divestments and acquisitions within the area’s meals supply business.
“I feel in a few markets, there are greater than two giant meals supply platforms, to not point out the rising on-demand groceries start-ups,” Li mentioned. “It’s arduous to see the market within the medium time period to have the ability to accommodate extra worthwhile gamers.”
A model of this text was first printed by Nikkei Asia on December 27 2021. ©2021 Nikkei Inc. All rights reserved