Jitse Groen, CEO of Just Eat Takeaway, has said the company’s plan to delist its shares from the Nasdaq doesn’t mean it’s planning to sell Grubhub, Reuters reported Sunday (Feb. 13).
The company announced the delisting last Tuesday (Feb. 8). At the time, Groen said it was a “cost-reduction measure” and that Just Eat is looking into various strategies for Grubhub’s future.
In an interview with Dutch media, Groen said he still believed only the biggest food delivery players in every market will be profitable in the long run.
“We have to get into a market position such as we have in the Netherlands, so that we can earn money,” he said, adding that there had been “a lot of discussions with people in the U.S.” about Grubhub.
“[But] if you talk to people, then you have to have the goal that it improves the business,” he continued.
Just Eat bought Grubhub last year for $7.3 billion, according to Reuters.
Last December, PYMNTS wrote that Just Eat Takeaway had partnered with U.K. grocery chain Asda to trial a grocery delivery service.
See also: Just Eat Partners with Asda for UK Grocery Delivery
During the trial, Just Eat customers were able to order from five Asda stores, and both companies expected the program to expand in the future. Just Eat has already been delivering hot pizza from Asda since 2019.
In the past, Groen said there wasn’t a lot of money in grocery delivery, although he has changed his opinion since then.
The pressure to ditch Grubhub has also been growing. Shareholder Cat Rock Capital said the company needs to get rid of Grubhub and that this could help its stock price, shifting the focus of the company back to European customers.
Cat Rock also said that if Grubhub consolidated with an American company, it would offer more value.