Chișinău, [September, 29] – Glovo, one of the leading technology platforms operating in Europe, Central Asiaand Africa, marks five years of operations in the Republic of Moldova. Launched in October 2020 in Chișinău, the platform expanded its operations to the municipality of Bălți, and became a key player in the digitalization of local commerce, job creation, and the support of small local businesses in the restaurant and retail sectors.
Glovo has become more than just an app. It is a true tech platform that creates a digital ecosystem that connects customers, local businesses and couriers. The platform supports the digital transformation of local merchants and their growth, encourages a new consumer behavior based on convenience, accessibility, diversity and provides new income opportunities for couriers.
To mark the 5-year anniversary of operations in Moldova, Glovo’s co-founder, Sacha Michaud, made a working visit to the country to celebrate the milestone and meet with the local team and key platform partners. Business founder with multiple ventures and British-Canadian executive, Michaud co-founded Glovo in 2015 alongside Oscar Pierre, with a clear vision to provide easy access to any product in the cities. Under his leadership, Glovo has evolved into one of the most dynamic tech platforms offering multicategory services globally.
“We are proud to celebrate five years of activity in Moldova. Together with our local team and partners, we have built an ecosystem that connects customers, businesses, and couriers, transforming the way we shop and bringing more convenience and accessibility to thousands of Moldovans”, said Sacha Michaud, Glovo co-founder.
The Glovo ecosystem: digitalizing local businesses and driving new consumer trends
In just five years, Glovo has become an indispensable solution for thousands of Moldovans, integrating food delivery into consumers’ daily lives. Starting in Chișinău in 2020, the platform expanded operations in April 2021 to Bălți – the second-largest city in the country. Currently, Glovocollaborates with over 600 partner locations in Moldova, covering a diverse network of local businesses.
The Quick Commerce (Q-Commerce) model, in which Glovois a pioneer, is redefining urban commerce: ultra-fast deliveries, instant access to any product, customer flexibility, and partner opportunities to scale operations.
Investments and economic impact
To support its growth in Moldova, Glovo has invested more than EUR 3 million to date, directed towards logistics infrastructure, technology, and the development of a local partner ecosystem. This investment has had a multiplier effect, encouraging digitalization and boosting sales for hundreds of SMEs.
“From the very beginning, Glovo has been a growth partner for small and medium-sized businesses in the HoReCa sector and beyond. Many local entrepreneurs in Moldova took their first steps into digital sales through Glovo, reaching new customers and building resilience in a rapidly changing market. With our platform, we are opening new opportunities for SMEs to diversify their sales channels and scale fasterwhile continuing to strengthen the local economy“, added Sacha Michaud.
Glovo actively contributes to the local economy through employee salaries, the earnings generated by couriers and the additional value created for each vendor by developing their online sales vertical. Additionally, Glovo complies with all requested taxes locally, including payroll taxes and other operating taxes.
In its hyper-local approach, Glovo has created 15 direct jobs in its Chișinău office, which takes care of the day-to-day operations and commercial topics to offer the best service to citizens. Additionally, almost 400 couriers currently operate on the platform through third party logistics partners managing the fleet. These couriers play a vital role in the dynamics of fast urban deliveries and the new era where customers look for convenience, while Glovo’s model helps small businesses reach a wider audience beyond their neighborhoods, diversify their sales channels and increase their sales.
About Glovo
Glovo is a leading technological platform connecting customers, businesses, and riders, offering multicategory on-demand services from local restaurants, grocers and supermarkets, and high street retail stores. As a frontrunner in Quick Commerce, the next generation of e-commerce, Glovo’s vision is to build the largest online marketplace to give everyone access to anything in their city within minutes. Founded in 2015 in Barcelona, it operates across 23 countries in Europe, Central Asia, and Africa.
For more information about Glovo, please visit: https://about.glovoapp.com/