--- title: "Lessons from Just Eat Takeaway: how it won" description: "How Just Eat Takeaway 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/just-eat-takeaway/ --- # What Just Eat Takeaway can teach your delivery business. Amsterdam-based food delivery marketplace, known locally as Just Eat, Lieferando, Thuisbezorgd and other brands, connecting customers with restaurants, grocers and shops. [See how they won](#winning-moves)[Book a demo](https://www.ordering.co/contact/?meeting=demo#book) - Region Europe - Headquarters Amsterdam, Netherlands - Founded 2000 - Owner Prosus (acquired and taken private in 2025) At a glance ## How Just Eat Takeaway works The company earns commissions from partners on each order, with a lower rate when restaurants deliver themselves and a higher one when its own couriers deliver, plus payment and customer fees. It sells mainly restaurant meals, and has added groceries and retail to capture more ordering occasions. Status as of October 2026 Prosus completed its tender offer for Just Eat Takeaway.com on 2 October 2025 and took the company private. Earlier, JET sold US business Grubhub to Wonder in January 2025. - The business began in 2000 when Jitse Groen launched Thuisbezorgd.nl in the Netherlands; it became Takeaway.com, listed in 2016 and merged with Just Eat in 2020. [Just Eat Takeaway.com](https://www.justeattakeaway.com/about/) - As of 2026 the company says it operates in 14 countries and connects consumers with 342,000 partners across restaurants, grocery and retail. [Just Eat Takeaway.com](https://www.justeattakeaway.com/about/) - Prosus completed its offer for Just Eat Takeaway.com on 2 October 2025 with 90.13% of shares; the European Commission required Prosus to reduce its Delivery Hero stake as a condition. [RetailDetail](https://www.retaildetail.eu/news/food/acquisition-of-just-eat-takeaway-completed-the-hard-work-is-just-beginning/) - JET completed the sale of Grubhub to Wonder on 7 January 2025 at an enterprise value of 650 million US dollars, to focus on markets where it is strongest. [Just Eat Takeaway.com Newsroom](https://newsroom.justeattakeaway.com/en-WW/245724-just-eat-takeaway-completes-sale-of-grubhub) - In July 2025 Lieferando announced it would cut about 2,000 salaried courier jobs in Germany, about 20% of its German workforce, and shift part of delivery to freelancers. [Eurofound](https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/platformeconomydb/lieferando-dismisses-2000-couriers-as-it-partially-removes-direct-employment-model-110241) How they won ## Just Eat Takeaway'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 ### Marketplace first, couriers later What they did Takeaway.com grew as a marketplace where restaurants handled their own deliveries and used the platform for orders and payments. In 2018 it connected about 44,000 restaurants and ran its own courier service in only 38 cities. Why it worked Without paying for a fleet, the marketplace could add restaurants and cities cheaply and reach profitability in core markets earlier than delivery-heavy rivals. Copy it locally Launch by letting restaurants with their own drivers take orders through your app for a low commission, and add your own drivers only for partners and zones that need them. You grow supply fast without carrying fleet costs from day one. [Source: Silicon Canals](https://siliconcanals.com/8-things-we-got-to-know-about-european-online-food-marketplace-from-takeaway-coms-annual-report/) 2. 02 ### Buy or win the number one spot What they did In December 2018 Takeaway.com paid about 930 million euros for Delivery Hero's German brands Lieferheld, Pizza.de and foodora, roughly doubling its German orders to 47 million. It aimed to save over 60 million euros, mostly in marketing, by running one brand. Why it worked Being the clear leader in a country lowers marketing cost per order and makes the platform the default choice for both diners and restaurants. Copy it locally In a single city, aim to be the obvious local name rather than one of many. Partner with or absorb small rival delivery services and restaurant WhatsApp ordering lines so their customers move into one app. [Source: Just Eat Takeaway.com Newsroom](https://newsroom.justeattakeaway.com/en-WW/200982-takeaway-com-acquires-food-delivery-operations-in-germany-from-delivery-hero/) 3. 03 ### Local brand names that feel homegrown What they did The group keeps different consumer brands per country, such as Thuisbezorgd in the Netherlands and Lieferando in Germany, under the same logo. Groen has said this makes people see the brand as very local. Why it worked A familiar local name builds trust with diners and restaurants and lets each brand own local search and word of mouth. Copy it locally Pick a name, domain and app icon that clearly belong to your city or region. Use local language, neighborhoods and landmarks in your marketing so you feel closer to customers than a global app. [Source: Techleap](https://techleap.nl/blog/how-jitse-groen-built-takeaway-com-to-become-a-leading-food-delivery-player/) 4. 04 ### Heavy brand marketing for top-of-mind awareness What they did Just Eat tripled marketing spend to 295 million euros in the first half of 2021, with a Snoop Dogg campaign and a Euro 2020 sponsorship. It reported UK awareness near 40% and London market share rising from 20% to 31%. Why it worked Delivery is a habit category, so being the first app people think of when hungry drives repeat orders. Copy it locally You cannot match the budget, but you can own one channel locally: sponsor the city's football club, a university event or a popular local creator, and repeat one memorable slogan everywhere. Pair it with a first-order code to measure what works. [Source: Marketing Week](https://www.marketingweek.com/just-eat-share-gains/) Where they are weak ## Three gaps you can use against Just Eat Takeaway Every giant has blind spots. These are the ones a focused local operator can turn into an advantage. - ### Dominance draws restaurant scrutiny Germany's competition authority examined Lieferando's price parity clause and was critical of 'shadow websites' it created for restaurants, although it closed the case in July 2023 without a prohibition. Restaurants wary of depending on one dominant platform are receptive to a local alternative. [Source: Bundeskartellamt](https://www.bundeskartellamt.de/SharedDocs/Meldung/EN/Pressemitteilungen/2023/12_07_2023_Lieferando.html) - ### Exits from markets where it is not leader JET left Portugal, Norway and Romania in 2022, citing competition and insufficient scale, and announced its exit from France in July 2024. Cities outside its core markets can be left without a strong local platform. [Source: Hospitality Ireland](https://hospitalityireland.com/food/just-eat-takeaway-quits-romania-173442) - ### Courier model changes and job cuts Lieferando announced about 2,000 courier job cuts in Germany in July 2025 and had cut couriers in Austria in June 2025, moving part of delivery to freelancers. Shifts like these can affect service reliability and goodwill, which a local operator with a stable driver team can turn into an advantage. [Source: Eurofound](https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/platformeconomydb/lieferando-dismisses-2000-couriers-as-it-partially-removes-direct-employment-model-110241) Build it with Ordering.co ## The tools to run Just Eat Takeaway'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/) - ### Delivery companies For 'Marketplace first, couriers later', let restaurants with their own drivers run as delivery companies on your platform, so you add supply without carrying a fleet from day one. - ### Store invoices Also for 'Marketplace first, couriers later', invoice each restaurant with its own custom commission, so self-delivering partners pay a lower rate than those using your drivers. - ### Driver app for deliveries To finish 'Marketplace first, couriers later', add your own drivers on the Driver app only for the partners and zones that need them. - ### Store signup and approval For 'Buy or win the number one spot', let small rival services and restaurants with WhatsApp ordering lines apply to join your app and approve them quickly, so their customers move into one place. - ### Custom domain and SSL For 'Local brand names that feel homegrown', run your marketplace on a domain that clearly belongs to your city, protected with SSL. - ### Coupons and discounts For 'Heavy brand marketing for top-of-mind awareness', pair your local sponsorship or creator campaign with a first-order coupon so you can measure which channel brings customers. 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/) - [EuropeGlovoBarcelona-born delivery app that brings restaurant food, groceries and almost any local purchase to customers in cities across Europe, Africa and Central Asia.](https://www.ordering.co/resources/lessons-from-the-giants/glovo/) ## Sources 1. [Just Eat Takeaway.com](https://www.justeattakeaway.com/about/) 2. [RetailDetail](https://www.retaildetail.eu/news/food/acquisition-of-just-eat-takeaway-completed-the-hard-work-is-just-beginning/) 3. [Just Eat Takeaway.com Newsroom](https://newsroom.justeattakeaway.com/en-WW/245724-just-eat-takeaway-completes-sale-of-grubhub) 4. [Eurofound](https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/platformeconomydb/lieferando-dismisses-2000-couriers-as-it-partially-removes-direct-employment-model-110241) 5. [Silicon Canals](https://siliconcanals.com/8-things-we-got-to-know-about-european-online-food-marketplace-from-takeaway-coms-annual-report/) 6. [Just Eat Takeaway.com Newsroom](https://newsroom.justeattakeaway.com/en-WW/200982-takeaway-com-acquires-food-delivery-operations-in-germany-from-delivery-hero/) 7. [Techleap](https://techleap.nl/blog/how-jitse-groen-built-takeaway-com-to-become-a-leading-food-delivery-player/) 8. [Marketing Week](https://www.marketingweek.com/just-eat-share-gains/) 9. [Bundeskartellamt](https://www.bundeskartellamt.de/SharedDocs/Meldung/EN/Pressemitteilungen/2023/12_07_2023_Lieferando.html) 10. [Hospitality Ireland](https://hospitalityireland.com/food/just-eat-takeaway-quits-romania-173442) Ordering.co is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Just Eat Takeaway.com (Lieferando, Thuisbezorgd). 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 Just Eat Takeaway, 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/)