Russia’s Yandex picks Paris to launch new food delivery service that promises speed

Russian tech giant Yandex has launched an express food delivery service in Paris under the Yango Deli brand, the company said, as demand for online delivery services remains strong after years of Covid-related restrictions.

Paris became the first European capital the Russian company is hoping to break into after launching the same service in Tel Aviv, Israel in November. Yandex is planning to expand the service to London in the third quarter of 2021.

Initially, the Paris service will cover an area with nearly one million residents before expanding into more areas across the city, according to the company.

The objective is to deliver orders within 15 minutes, as the company is using so-called dark stores, dedicated warehouses that cater only to online clients. The technology allows Yandex to provide swift delivery while also enjoying cheaper rental costs.

Yango, the international arm of Yandex Go, the firm’s taxi aggregator and food tech business, was first launched in Russia under the Yandex.Lavka name back in 2019, when the coronavirus pandemic forced people to stay home for months.

Yandex, initially developed as a Russian search engine rivaling Google, is reportedly planning to spend around $650 million on e-commerce initiatives this year. In the first half of 2021, company revenues were up 54% and totaled 154 billion rubles ($2.1 billion).

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