Russian internet giant Yandex mulls expanding food delivery service to TWO European capitals as Covid-19 pandemic boosts demand

Russian internet giant Yandex says it will start delivering groceries across Paris and London by the end of the year, after the service gained massive popularity in Russia during lockdowns imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The grocery delivery in the French and British capitals will be run by Yango, an international arm of Yandex Go, which is in cha   rge of the company’s taxi aggregator and food tech business. Last year, the subsidiary launched the grocery service in Israel under the Yango Deli brand.

“In France, Yandex’s Yango Deli will use the company’s tried-and-tested model of hyperlocal delivery in 10 to 15 minutes from dark stores, supported by its proprietary technologies and know-how. It will take orders via its own app,” the company said in a statement.

Dark stores are warehouses catering only for online clients, allowing faster delivery and lower rental costs.
The NASDAQ-listed firm has reportedly registered a French company and started hiring staff for the new venture, and has plans to launch in London in the third quarter of 2021.

Online retail in Russia boomed last year, as shoppers were stuck at home for months due to lockdown restrictions, making food and grocery delivery services such as Yandex Lavka one of the major beneficiaries.

The service, launched in 2019, currently operates in several Russian cities, processing nearly two million orders every month, with more than 300 dark stores in operation.

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