Uber pauses most of its planned European Uber Eats expansion
Uber announced that it has shelved plans to launch its Uber Eats service in five of the seven European markets it had targeted for 2026, specifically naming Austria, Norway and Greece; the two remaining countries were not disclosed. Earlier in the year, Uber had outlined an expansion into Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, the Czech Republic, Greece and Romania, estimating that the rollout would generate an additional $1 billion in gross bookings over the next three years.
Delivery Hero acquisition context
In May, Delivery Hero confirmed receipt of a €33‑per‑share takeover proposal from Uber. Subsequent to that offer, Uber increased its shareholding in the German food‑delivery group to nearly 37 %, up from 25 %, after purchasing shares from investor Aspex Management. This stake increase strengthens Uber’s position as the acquisition process advances.
Rationale for the pause
Uber told the Financial Times that the decision to scale back the rollout follows the “huge success” of launches in Finland and Denmark, and the company now intends to concentrate on building momentum in markets where Uber Eats is already operating rather than entering new ones.
Company responses
Neither Uber nor Delivery Hero provided comments to Reuters when approached for remarks on the strategic shift.
Market implication
Analysts note that a successful acquisition would further consolidate Europe’s highly competitive food‑delivery market, which has been characterized by aggressive expansion and profitability pressures following years of heavy investment.