DoorDash acquires Deliveroo: what this means for quick commerce

Deliveroo has agreed to be acquired by DoorDash as part of a £2.9 bn deal. Following the acquisition, which is in addition to its purchase of Wolt in 2021, DoorDash will have a presence in over 40 markets globally.

Acquisition follows DoorDash’s very strong growth in 2024…

DoorDash’s revenue grew by 24.2%, to US$10.7 bn, in 2024. The year also marked DoorDash’s first year of positive net income after two years of cost-cutting efforts. The company generated an annual profit of US$117m in 2024, versus a loss of US$558m in 2023.

The food delivery company has had a strong start to 2025, with revenue growing 21% in Q1 2024, to US$3.03 bn. It also reported a profit of US$193m, compared to a loss of US$23m last year. Despite this, revenue was short of Wall Street’s forecast of US$3.09bn. Q1 2025 also set a new quarterly record for order completion, with 732m orders, an 18% growth on Q1 2024.

 …Enabling DoorDash to gain further share in the US

In 2019, DoorDash held a 30% share of the US’s food delivery market, just behind Uber Eats’ share of 32%.  In 2025, however, DoorDash dominates the market with a 67% share, while Uber Eats only has 25%, and GrubHub has 8%.

DoorDash’s smart infrastructure is helping to drive growth

The three main elements driving the company’s growth are DoorDash Drive, DashMart, and DoubleDash.

DoorDash Drive is a white-label delivery service for restaurants and retailers who want to use DoorDash’s delivery fleet but keep control of their customer ordering channels, e.g. their website or app. This expands DoorDash’s relevance beyond just its app, allowing delivery to be scaled.

DashMart is the company’s network of micro-fulfilment centres or dark stores. These give it more control over inventory, margin and speed but also enable it to compete against convenience retailers.

DoubleDash is a multi-merchant ordering feature for customers who want to add items from a second nearby merchant, like a convenience store, without paying the extra delivery fees. This encourages increased basket sizes and cross-selling between merchants to boost revenue per order.

DoorDash is strengthening its quick commerce positioning

Given there was no overlap between Deliveroo and DoorDash’s operating markets, this acquisition allows DoorDash to expand its global footprint efficiently by entering brand-new markets. Deliveroo operates in nine markets across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, while DoorDash operates in North America and Australasia, as well as Europe and Asia through the Wolt acquisition.

Diversification of services will help DoorDash win by attracting new customers and restaurant partners. The acquisition is expected to ignite innovation in tech and logistics at Deliveroo, with DoorDash sharing its strengths in delivery optimisation and machine learning. As well as key learnings of DoorDash and Wolt’s expansion of retail media, where the UK is a less mature market than the US, the acquisition could reshape how vendors engage with delivery platforms.

DoorDash will become an even fiercer competitor to Uber Eats and Just Eat Takeaway by consolidating market share and expanding its user base. Together, DoorDash and Deliveroo processed US$90 bn in orders in 2024, serving a combined 49m active users monthly. DoorDash will also use Deliveroo's established infrastructure to enhance profitability through improved unit economics and customer retention. The increased scale is expected to lead to better margins and operational efficiencies.

Quick commerce consolidation

This acquisition follows the takeover of Just Eat Takeaway by Prosus, a digital technology investment company. Prosus claims its acquisition will result in it being the fourth-largest food delivery group in the world. Prosus fully owns iFood, a Latin American food delivery platform, and has a 28% stake in Delivery Hero, which is present in around 70 countries, a 4% stake in Chinese food delivery platform Meituan and a 25% stake in India’s food delivery company Swiggy.

The takeover of Just Eat Takeaway and Deliveroo will lead to a more consolidated market. Both DoorDash and Prosus have proven track records of success in the food delivery market, and we expect them to have their sights set on further acquisitions that would unlock growth and scale into additional markets. Each acquisition brings in more quick commerce expertise and strengthens their tech capabilities, which should enable them to grow at a faster pace.

What's next for quick commerce?

Our new Global online trends report highlights quick commerce as a key driver of online grocery growth. It is becoming an essential offer for established online retailers and a route to entering online for less-established players.

The food delivery landscape continues to evolve and shift as it gains pace, and recent acquisitions will shape quick commerce offerings as retailers and aggregators respond to developments. Meanwhile, established players will try to compete by increasing their coverage, products and delivery options. They will also introduce new initiatives to differentiate and scale, like Morrisons bringing its loyalty scheme rewards to quick commerce shopping.

As shoppers become more accustomed to on-demand grocery shopping, availability expectations will only increase. Amit Chitnis, Ocado COO, told IGD that ‘quick commerce requires a trade-off in terms of choice and how quickly you get something. Quicker is not always better in the eye of a shopper if availability is compromised.’

With this being said, retailers will need to evolve their models to meet shoppers' needs while competing with food delivery giants in the market. This could pave the way for retailers and shoppers to redefine what quick commerce is in the future, leading to hybrid operating models where shoppers pay a premium for rapid delivery and can choose scheduled deliveries for lower delivery fees and guaranteed product availability.