LalaFood to cease operations starting Feb. 16
Food delivery service LalaFood will cease its operations starting next week, Feb. 15.
The announcement was made by LalaFood via a statement posted on its Facebook page on Monday, Feb. 7, stating that the company has decided to redirect its focus entirely on its core business—on-demand courier service LalaMove.
“February 15, 2021 will be the last day of Lalafood platform operations,” the statement added.
It added that the company, amid the closure of Lalafood, is “committed to strengthening our investment in the Philippines to better serve our customers,” with expansion plans in Manila and to the Pampanga province underway.
Our mission doesn’t end here -- 2021 will continue to be another year of strong growth for Lalamove in the Philippines. The year is just unfolding and there’s so much in store for us all. #letsLALA ?
Posted by LalaFood on Sunday, February 7, 2021
“The year is just unfolding and there’s much in store for us all,” the statement ended.
The decision may come as a bit of a surprise, as the food delivery and courier service businesses are presumably booming in the country due to the pandemic.
LalaMove, founded in Hong Kong in 2013, launched its operations in the Philippines in 2016. It launched its food delivery service LalaFood soon after.
“Since the start of the pandemic, everyone saw the value of same-day delivery. Before, I’m not saying we’re taken for granted, but the value of apps such as Lalamove, they were overlooked. But since the pandemic happened, people learned that these apps are present here to make our lives easier, “ LalaMove’s PR and partnerships lead John Carlo Alarcon said in an interview with the Philippine Star last year.