The express home shopping platform Flink, which employed 218 people in France, has announced that it will be liquidated on Friday. The management of the company declared a cessation of payments before the Paris commercial court. The chairman and CEO, William Luscan, attributed the company’s struggles to the inflationary context, strong regulatory pressure, and a disinterest of investors in the sector.
After being placed in receivership last June, Flink France was taken over in September by Guillaume Luscan, the German parent company, and the Algerian start-up Yassir. The new entity was named New Flink France and managed to maintain 56% of the workforce, keeping more than 200 employees. The start-up Yassir, specializing in on-demand and payment services in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa zone, had injected five million euros into the business.
Despite the injection of funds, the company faced challenges with the inflation affecting purchasing conditions and regulatory pressure requiring significant investments to transform its sites. A difficult financial context and waning investor interest in the sector after disappointments related to quick commerce also played a part in the decision to liquidate Flink.
The recent closures of other quick commerce players in France, such as Getir, Frichti, and Gorillas, due to regulatory restrictions on “dark stores,” have further highlighted the challenges in the sector. Despite bankruptcies among express delivery companies, the market is expected to continue growing, potentially reaching a turnover of 438 million euros in 2030.
While some players in the quick commerce sector have faced economic challenges, others are still thriving. Companies like Uber Eats and Deliveroo have ventured into the niche, adapting to the competitive landscape of express delivery services in France.