Failure Analysis
Getir died from a lethal combination of unsustainable unit economics and catastrophic capital misallocation during the 2020-2021 venture bubble. The core problem: delivering a...
Getir \Turkey
Getir promised the impossible: groceries delivered to your door in under 10 minutes. The value proposition was visceral—eliminate the friction of grocery shopping entirely. No planning, no trips, no waiting. Craving ice cream at 11 PM? Order it. Forgot milk for breakfast? It arrives before your coffee brews. This wasn't just convenience; it was instant gratification as infrastructure. In dense Turkish neighborhoods where corner stores were already ubiquitous, Getir positioned itself as the digital evolution of the local grocer, combining selection with speed that felt magical. The psychological hook was powerful: once you experienced 10-minute delivery, traditional grocery shopping felt antiquated.
Discover the reason behind the shutdown and the market before & today
Market Analysis
The quick commerce market has consolidated dramatically since Getir's peak. In 2024, the landscape is defined by survivors who prioritized profitability over growth. Gopuff...
Startup Learnings
Blitzscaling only works if unit economics improve with scale. Getir assumed density would fix their negative margins, but in on-demand delivery, density helps but...
Market Potential
The market for ultra-fast delivery exists but is far smaller than the $2B in funding suggested. Post-pandemic, consumers have recalibrated expectations. They want convenience,...
Difficulty
The technology stack is straightforward—mobile app, inventory management, route optimization, payment processing. Modern tools like Shopify for commerce, Mapbox for routing, and Stripe for...
Scalability
Quick commerce has a fundamental scalability problem: unit economics deteriorate as you grow unless density reaches critical mass in each micro-market. Each new neighborhood...
Rebuild & monetization strategy: Resurrect the company
Execution Plan
Phase 2
Build a minimal mobile app with pharmacy inventory integration, real-time order tracking, and payment processing. Focus on the core flow: symptom search, product selection, delivery address, payment. Launch with manual courier dispatch using a simple admin panel.
Phase 3
Recruit 15-20 gig economy couriers (bike or scooter) and create a simple dispatch system. Start with manual assignment via WhatsApp group to validate delivery times and identify operational bottlenecks before building automated routing.
Phase 4
Launch with a targeted Facebook and Instagram campaign focused on parents with young children in the test neighborhood. Message: 'Fever at midnight? Prescription delivered in 15 minutes.' Track CAC, order frequency, and basket size obsessively.
Phase 5
Run for 90 days measuring three metrics: Can we consistently deliver in under 15 minutes? Do customers reorder within 60 days? Are we gross margin positive after courier costs and pharmacy commission? If yes to all three, expand to adjacent neighborhoods. If no, pivot or kill.
Monetization Strategy
Revenue comes from two sources: a $7.99 delivery fee paid by customers (non-negotiable, no discounting after initial promotion) and a 25% commission on each order paid by the pharmacy. Average order value is projected at $45, generating $11.25 in pharmacy commission plus $7.99 in delivery fees, totaling $19.24 per order. Courier cost averages $8 per delivery (including platform fees, insurance, and incentives). Customer acquisition cost targets $25, with a goal of 3+ orders per customer in the first year. At maturity, gross margin per order is approximately $11 after courier costs, with contribution margin turning positive after the second order. The model works because urgency justifies premium pricing, and we avoid the inventory and real estate costs that killed Getir. Expansion revenue comes from pharmacy partnerships in new neighborhoods, not from increasing order frequency in existing ones.
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