Uber is trimming down its unprofitable business units, Brazil Journal reported, with the first on the chopping block being Uber Eats Brazil.
Uber said on Thursday that it is shutting down Uber Eats restaurant delivery in Brazil starting March 7, shifting its efforts in the country to online grocery deliveries through Chile-based Uber subsidiary Cornershop and via Uber Direct. Reuters reported that Uber did not give a reason for cutting off restaurant delivery services in Brazil.
Uber has faced strong competition in Brazil's food delivery market, as companies like Softbank-backed Rappi and iFood, a subsidiary of tech firm Movile, eat up business in the country. According to Uber's third-quarter earnings report, Latin America is its least profitable market: The company made $390 million in the region last quarter, compared to $2.6 billion in the U.S. and Canada, $1.1 billion in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and $743 million in the Asia Pacific region. Its revenue growth was also the lowest of the bunch, up 29% year over year compared to growth of between 66% and 131% for other regions.
Given Uber turned an adjusted profit last quarter for the first time since it's launched, the move to end Uber Eats in Brazil may have been motivated by a desire to continue that streak.