Online delivery platform Gopuff expands into U.K.

Gopuff is acquiring U.K.-based last-mile delivery startup Fancy.

Philadelphia-based online delivery startup Gopuff has completed the purchase of Fancy, a platform that fulfills online orders of groceries and daily essentials in 30 minutes. According to Gopuff, this marks the beginning of a multi-step plan to significantly invest in new international markets, starting with the U.K. and Europe, and expand its global operations team.

Fancy’s end-to-end supply chain is similar to Gopuff’s micro-fulfillment-based, vertically integrated model, which cuts out the middleman to enable delivery of essential items at grocery store prices in a matter of minutes. Fancy currently operates multiple micro-fulfillment centers in the U.K. across Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, and Birmingham; with upcoming launches in metros including London, Sheffield, and Nottingham.

Domestically, Gopuff expanded in November 2020 with the purchase of California-based beverage retailer BevMo! Gopuff is leveraging BevMo!’s store footprint as infrastructure to seamlessly integrate into its network of West Coast micro-fulfillment centers. The company also recently launched a partnership with Uber Eats to facilitate in-app deliveries of everyday essentials.

“At Gopuff, we have been consistently focused on responsible growth, strategically establishing the physical infrastructure and footprint needed to bring Instant Needs to new geographies and customers,” said Daniel Folkman, Gopuff senior VP of business. “Acquiring Fancy is an important first step as we accelerate expansion in the U.K. and Europe and quickly accelerate our investment in the international market.”

“We have been inspired by Gopuff’s innovation and expertise in our industry and appreciated their insights in and support of our company as we’ve sought to expand to new markets in the U.K.,” said Arnie Englander, CEO of Fancy. “We are delighted to formally join forces with them through this transaction, which gives Fancy increased access to the instant needs category leader’s operational capabilities, deep bench of talented personnel, and infrastructure to fully execute our vision of delivering convenience across the U.K.”