Steve O'Hear, VP at Zapp and former TechCrunch reporter, dives into the booming on-demand delivery market in Europe. He discusses Zapp's innovative approach and the competitive landscape, addressing recent fundraising news from rivals like Getir and Weezy. O'Hear shares insights on consumer behavior shaped by the pandemic and how sustainable models prioritize convenience. The conversation also touches on the economic challenges facing companies like GoPuff and the importance of user experience in driving startup growth.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Ibuprofen anecdote
Alex needed ibuprofen and used Uber Eats convenience delivery.
He paid a premium but was happy due to the convenience.
insights INSIGHT
Existing consumer behavior
Consumers already ordered convenience items through platforms like Uber Eats.
Zap and similar companies are building bespoke solutions for existing needs.
insights INSIGHT
Sustained growth
The digitization of groceries accelerated during the pandemic and remains steady.
Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast, where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines.
This is our Wednesday show, where we niche down to a single topic. This time 'round we took a look into the world of on-demand delivery in Europe, with an especial focus on the so-called "instant" grocery sector, and delivered convenience items. To help Natasha and Danny and Alex get through the subject, we lassoed TechCrunch alum and present-day VP at Zapp, a company in the sector under discussion, Steve O'Hear to chat with us.
Steve gave us an overview of Zapp, and how its approach to infra could help its economics.
We chatted about GoPuff and its economic fortunes, which in fundraising terms are solid, even if questions regarding future profitability are still in play.
And regarding the ever-present pandemic question, Steve was bullish on consumer behavior staying where it is if -- when? -- the COVID-19 pandemic eventually leaves us.
We are back on Friday! Chat then!
Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.
Equity