DoorDash Inc. announced on Wednesday its strategic decision to cease operations across four international markets: Qatar, Singapore, Japan, and Uzbekistan. This move follows an extensive multi-month evaluation of market-specific conditions and competitive landscapes.
The San Francisco-based food delivery giant stated that this consolidation will enable the company to concentrate its investment resources on territories where it can achieve sustainable scaling and establish long-term market dominance. Miki Kuusi, Head of DoorDash International, emphasized that the company’s immediate priority is ensuring a structured transition process for affected employees and partner networks.
DoorDash entered several of these markets considerably later than established competitors. Its 2021 launch in Japan placed it five years behind rival Uber Eats, while its acquired subsidiary Deliveroo (purchased in 2023) only commenced Qatar operations in 2022—nearly a decade after regional leader Talabat began serving the Qatari market.
The company faces intensely competitive environments in these exiting markets, including opposition from GrabFood and Foodpanda in Singapore, and Russia’s Yandex Eats in Uzbekistan.
Despite these operational withdrawals, DoorDash confirmed that the closures will not affect its existing financial guidance. Investor response appeared positive, with company shares rising approximately 5% during midday trading following the announcement.
While DoorDash maintains market leadership in the United States, it continues to pursue international expansion through strategic acquisitions, including the 2021 purchase of Finland’s Wolt Enterprises Oy which facilitated its European market entry.