Ultra-fast delivery firms face post-pandemic hangover

Order pickers work at a dark store of the fast grocery deliverer Getir in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Worker discontent, a drop-off in investment and reduced demand all suggest a hard landing from the stellar growth of the pandemic era. — Reuters

PARIS: Prathamesh Jathar is one of many brightly dressed riders zipping through the streets of Berlin, dropping off groceries just minutes after the orders come in.

The 25-year-old Master’s student from Mumbai could be a poster-child for the multibillion-dollar “quick commerce” sector, but instead he symbolises the malaise.