‘COVID-19 restrictions accelerated our development by three-to-four months’ – Wolt General Manager

If you’ve noticed the large number of traditional retail outlets beefing up their online platforms or developing new ones in the last year, or the quick proliferation of online food and grocery delivery companies and taxi services, then it should already be clear how dramatic a shift the pandemic has brought about in the way we do business.

One of the most visible online sectors during the pandemic was the food delivery niche. Wolt, which began its operations in Malta amid the restrictions, has seen significant growth in this space, with the online market picking up steam and customers quick to adapt, according to Dimitris Karelos, General Manager at Wolt for Greece, Cyprus and Malta.

“We’re still a young business on the island and we can see that the popularity of ordering is on the up. Having said that, it’s very natural for us – as a new company – to grow organically month after month,” he says, sharing his insights within the Cover Story for the recent Digital Island magazine.

“The COVID-19 restrictions accelerated our development by three-to-four months based on the plan we had put in place. This means we would have got to where we are now without the pandemic, just not as quickly! Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that the delivery industry has been growing year-on-year for the past decade now, so it’s not just the pandemic that has spurned this growth,” Mr Karelos says.

“From my point of view, the online market was still in its early stages,” he continues, “and we knew Wolt could contribute significantly. It’s our goal to help people save time, so they can focus on the things that matter most to them – while the model enables additional sales for the businesses that partner with us and flexible earnings for our courier partners. It’s an example of how online business can be a win-win.”

This interview forms part of a larger cover story which appeared on the latest edition of Digital Island magazine.