From a Saskatoon startup to a national delivery giant: the evolution of Skip
In short: Founded in 2012 by brothers Josh and Chris Simair, SkipTheDishes transformed from a bootstrapped Canadian startup into a major player in the food delivery industry. Now rebranded simply as Skip, the company has navigated international acquisitions, market exits, and a significant shift toward delivering groceries and retail goods.
The journey of Skip began in Saskatoon, where the Simair brothers sought to refine the efficiency of online food ordering. By leveraging their background in investment banking and securing early support from angel investors and venture capital firms, they scaled the business rapidly. Between 2013 and 2016, the company expanded across various Canadian and American cities. This growth caught the attention of the United Kingdom-based firm Just Eat, which acquired the company in December 2016 for $200 million. While the brand remained headquartered in Winnipeg, its corporate structure evolved significantly, eventually becoming a division of the Netherlands-based Just Eat Takeaway.com following a 2020 merger.
The company's trajectory has been marked by strategic pivots and international recalibrations. In March 2019, Skip withdrew from the United States market, transferring its operations to Grubhub. Domestically, the service moved beyond restaurant delivery, experimenting with alcohol delivery in 2017 and launching the Skip Express Lane for household goods in 2021. By October 2024, the company shortened its name to Skip to better reflect this broader focus on convenience and retail items. This evolution has been supported by high-profile marketing campaigns, including partnerships with actor Jon Hamm and the Canadian Olympic Committee.
Despite its commercial expansion, the company has faced notable challenges and criticism. In 2024, CEO Paul Burns announced the layoff of 800 employees as part of a broader restructuring effort. Furthermore, the company has encountered scrutiny regarding its labor practices and business model. Critics, including representatives from the Canadian Labour Congress, have raised concerns about the nature of the sharing economy. Additionally, the company has struggled with customer service perceptions, receiving an F rating from the Better Business Bureau as of October 2021 due to a high volume of unresolved complaints.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: SkipTheDishes
- Also: Wikidata — SkipTheDishes · CC0
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