--- title: "Lessons from Glovo: how it won" description: "How Glovo won, how to copy its best moves in your city, and where it is weak. A free, sourced playbook for local delivery founders." canonical: https://www.ordering.co/resources/lessons-from-the-giants/glovo/ --- # What Glovo can teach your delivery business. Barcelona-born delivery app that brings restaurant food, groceries and almost any local purchase to customers in cities across Europe, Africa and Central Asia. [See how they won](#winning-moves)[Book a demo](https://www.ordering.co/contact/?meeting=demo#book) - Region Europe - Headquarters Barcelona, Spain - Founded 2015 - Owner Delivery Hero (majority owner since 2022; Uber has a pending takeover offer for Delivery Hero, announced July 2026) At a glance ## How Glovo works Glovo runs a three-sided marketplace linking customers, local stores and couriers, earning commissions from partner businesses plus delivery and service fees from customers. It sells restaurant meals, supermarket and convenience groceries, pharmacy items and other local goods, and also runs its own dark stores and a Prime subscription for free delivery. Status as of October 2026 In July 2026 Uber launched a takeover offer for Delivery Hero, Glovo's parent. As part of the deal, Delivery Hero agreed to sell businesses in 14 markets to the US fund SSW Partners, with Glovo's Spain, Portugal, Poland, Romania and Moldova operations reported to go to SSW, and the rest of Glovo staying in the Uber group. Closing is expected in the second half of 2027 and depends on regulators and shareholder acceptance. - In January 2022 Delivery Hero raised its stake in Glovo to 83.4%, valuing the company at 2.3 billion euros, when Glovo operated in about 1,300 cities across 25 countries with 15 million active users. [EU-Startups](https://www.eu-startups.com/2022/01/delivery-hero-buys-majority-stake-of-barcelona-based-unicorn-glovo/) - Glovo's corporate site (2026) states it operates in 21 countries with about 150,000 local stores and 120,000 couriers active each month. [Glovo](https://about.glovoapp.com/) - On 1 July 2025 Glovo stopped working with self-employed riders in Spain and moved to a salaried courier model, a change Delivery Hero said would cut about 100 million euros from its 2025 adjusted earnings. [ESM Magazine](https://esmmagazine.com/technology/delivery-hero-faces-e100m-earnings-hit-as-it-hires-spanish-riders-278337) - In June 2025 the European Commission fined Delivery Hero and Glovo a combined 329 million euros for a cartel that included splitting European markets and no-poach agreements between 2018 and 2022; both companies settled. [Fortune](https://fortune.com/europe/2025/06/02/eu-fines-delivery-hero-glovo-329-million-running-food-delivery-cartel-whatsapp) - In July 2026 Uber offered 41.50 euros per share for Delivery Hero, with closing expected in the second half of 2027, and Delivery Hero agreed to sell businesses in 14 markets to SSW Partners for about 1.4 billion euros. [Khaleej Times (Reuters)](https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/uber-launches-15-billion-bid-for-delivery-hero-to-create-global-takeout-giant) How they won ## Glovo's four winning moves What they did, why it worked, and how you can run the same move in one city on a small budget. 1. 01 ### Deliver anything, not just food What they did Glovo launched as a 'deliver anything' app rather than a pure restaurant platform. Customers could order meals, groceries, pharmacy items and other city errands from one app within about 30 minutes. Why it worked More categories meant more reasons to open the app each week, which raised order frequency and kept couriers busy outside meal peaks. Copy it locally Start with restaurants, then add the pharmacy, the corner shop, the florist and a 'send a package' option in the same app. Each new category reuses the same drivers and customers, so the extra cost is mostly signing up stores and loading their catalogs. [Source: TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/19/spains-glovo-grabs-166m-series-e-for-its-deliver-anything-app/) 2. 02 ### Go where the giants are not What they did Instead of fighting for the most crowded capitals, Glovo deliberately expanded into secondary cities and underserved regions such as Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Africa. By early 2022 it covered about 1,300 cities in 25 countries. Why it worked Being first in a city let Glovo sign the best local partners and build habits before bigger rivals arrived. Copy it locally Pick a town or neighborhood the big apps ignore or serve poorly and own it completely before expanding. Lock in the most loved local restaurants and shops with fair terms and visible local marketing. [Source: TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/19/spains-glovo-grabs-166m-series-e-for-its-deliver-anything-app/) 3. 03 ### Own the grocery shelf with dark stores What they did Glovo opened its own small delivery-only convenience stores in several cities, stocked for fast grocery orders, and planned to scale them to more than 100 locations from 2020. Why it worked Controlling stock and picking gave Glovo faster delivery and better margins on everyday items than relying only on third-party shops. Copy it locally You do not need a warehouse: partner with one well-stocked local minimarket, give it a curated catalog of best sellers in your app, and promise short delivery times in a small radius. Add a store of your own only once order volume proves the demand. [Source: TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/19/spains-glovo-grabs-166m-series-e-for-its-deliver-anything-app/) 4. 04 ### Subscription for free delivery What they did In November 2018 Glovo launched Glovo Prime, a monthly subscription priced at 5.99 euros in Spain that removed delivery fees across all categories, after piloting it in Madrid. Why it worked Subscribers prepay and then concentrate their orders on one app, which raises loyalty and order frequency. Copy it locally Offer a simple monthly pass with free delivery above a minimum basket, priced so a customer breaks even after two or three orders. Promote it at checkout to repeat customers rather than to everyone. [Source: El Referente](https://elreferente.es/?p=17779) Where they are weak ## Three gaps you can use against Glovo Every giant has blind spots. These are the ones a focused local operator can turn into an advantage. - ### Pulls out when a market is not big enough Glovo shut down in Ghana in May 2024 after about three years, saying it was reassessing investment priorities, and it had already left Andorra in 2023. Local partners in markets a group considers small can lose their delivery channel overnight. [Source: Citi Newsroom](https://citinewsroom.com/2024/04/glovo-to-cease-operations-in-ghana/) - ### Rising labor and regulatory costs Spain fined Glovo 79 million euros in 2022 and a further 56.7 million euros in 2024 over rider social security, and the company then moved its Spanish riders to employment. These costs push the platform to protect margins, which a local operator with a simpler fleet can use to compete on fees and service. [Source: ESM Magazine](https://esmmagazine.com/technology/delivery-hero-faces-e100m-earnings-hit-as-it-hires-spanish-riders-278337) - ### Ownership in flux Under the Uber offer for Delivery Hero announced in July 2026, Glovo is reported to be split, with its Spain, Portugal, Poland, Romania and Moldova businesses going to SSW Partners. Restaurants and shops facing a long period of uncertainty may be open to a stable local alternative. [Source: Marketing4eCommerce](https://marketing4ecommerce.net/uber-lanza-su-opa-sobre-delivery-hero/) Build it with Ordering.co ## The tools to run Glovo's playbook in your city Each of these features is included in every Ordering.co plan. [See all features](https://www.ordering.co/features/all-features/) - ### Store categories and ribbons To copy 'Deliver anything, not just food', group restaurants, pharmacies, corner shops and florists into their own store categories in one marketplace app, and highlight new ones with ribbons. - ### Cities To 'Go where the giants are not', add the secondary towns the big apps ignore as cities in your dashboard, with no limit, and open each one when you are ready to own it. - ### Catalog importer For 'Own the grocery shelf with dark stores', import a partner minimarket's best sellers in bulk so its curated grocery catalog is live in your app without building a warehouse. - ### Delivery zones Also for 'Own the grocery shelf with dark stores', draw a small delivery zone around the partner minimarket on the map so you can promise short delivery times in that radius. - ### Advanced offers In place of Glovo's 'Subscription for free delivery', target your repeat customers with a free delivery promotion above a minimum basket, using customer segments and rule combinations. - ### Loyalty levels To get the loyalty effect of 'Subscription for free delivery' without a paid pass, reward customers who order often with tiered loyalty levels so they concentrate their orders in your app. More lessons ## Learn from other giants [All giants](https://www.ordering.co/resources/lessons-from-the-giants/) - [EuropeBolt FoodThe food and grocery delivery arm of Bolt, the Estonian ride-hailing app, active in Europe and parts of Africa.](https://www.ordering.co/resources/lessons-from-the-giants/bolt-food/) - [EuropeDeliverooLondon-based delivery app that connects customers with restaurants, grocers and shops, using its own network of freelance riders.](https://www.ordering.co/resources/lessons-from-the-giants/deliveroo/) - [EuropeJust Eat Takeaway.com (Lieferando, Thuisbezorgd)Amsterdam-based food delivery marketplace, known locally as Just Eat, Lieferando, Thuisbezorgd and other brands, connecting customers with restaurants, grocers and shops.](https://www.ordering.co/resources/lessons-from-the-giants/just-eat-takeaway/) ## Sources 1. [EU-Startups](https://www.eu-startups.com/2022/01/delivery-hero-buys-majority-stake-of-barcelona-based-unicorn-glovo/) 2. [Glovo](https://about.glovoapp.com/) 3. [ESM Magazine](https://esmmagazine.com/technology/delivery-hero-faces-e100m-earnings-hit-as-it-hires-spanish-riders-278337) 4. [Fortune](https://fortune.com/europe/2025/06/02/eu-fines-delivery-hero-glovo-329-million-running-food-delivery-cartel-whatsapp) 5. [Khaleej Times (Reuters)](https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/uber-launches-15-billion-bid-for-delivery-hero-to-create-global-takeout-giant) 6. [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/19/spains-glovo-grabs-166m-series-e-for-its-deliver-anything-app/) 7. [El Referente](https://elreferente.es/?p=17779) 8. [Citi Newsroom](https://citinewsroom.com/2024/04/glovo-to-cease-operations-in-ghana/) 9. [Marketing4eCommerce](https://marketing4ecommerce.net/uber-lanza-su-opa-sobre-delivery-hero/) Ordering.co is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Glovo. Names and trademarks belong to their owners and are used here for commentary and education. Facts come from the public sources listed on this page, checked in October 2026. ## Build your own Glovo, for your city. Tell us your market and what you want to launch. We will show you how Ordering.co runs the stores, orders, payments and delivery behind it. [Book a demo](https://www.ordering.co/contact/?meeting=demo#book)[See all features](https://www.ordering.co/features/all-features/)