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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Tom Wall

Bubble bursts for rapid food delivery as UK firms shed workers

Jamie Taylor, former Gorillas delivery rider who lost his job after Gorillas shut down their operations in Reading.
Jamie Taylor, former Gorillas delivery rider who lost his job after Gorillas shut down their operations in Reading. Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Observer

Rapid delivery firms are shedding riders and closing warehouses across the UK as the bubble bursts for ultra-quick grocery drop-off services.

Some of the biggest names in the on-demand grocery sector, which persuaded cash-rich investors during the pandemic they were going to replace corner shop purchases with 15-minute deliveries, are pulling out of cities and towns as consumers desert their apps and doubts grow about the viability of the industry.

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