So long and thanks for the air fryer: Glovo CPO Daniel Alonso reflects on building Instacart and Getir of Europe

Daniel Alonso has departed Spain-based delivery app and technology specialist Glovo, where he held the role of Chief Product Officer.

In a LinkedIn post, in which he did not reveal what comes next, he said: "As a farewell gift I got an air fryer. This gift was bought through Glovo from an electronics store in Barcelona. This gift is full of meaning. I joined February 2019 with the mission of building the groceries business.”

“As I was told: "You need to build the Instacart of Europe and the Getir of Europe". At that time, there were less than 100 grocery partnerships globally (including Latam), yes less than 100 partners across 30+ countries. In fact, in Spain we only had one partner paying commission. After 6.5 years, Q-commerce is a €1.2 billion business, and we have more bakeries in Spain today than partnerships we had globally. So, receiving an air fryer from an electronics store is brutal."

He added: "In July-Sept. 2023, I started to lead UX and Product with the mission to transform it into a fast outcome machine. This was tougher than expected, but I am really happy on what we built: Vital things to know how the app performs, GlovoNext deliverables, Clear OKRs and priorities, Lean and hard work teams, a more engaged UX team, a UX team that influences the roadmap and has a seat on the table, launching Bets, implementing the Customer Meet&Greet,... and more importantly a customer app that is shining and being copied by competitors."

"I can keep quoting facts, but nothing beats the feeling of pride of three things: Having built Q-commerce, having transformed UX & Product and having influenced Glovo's culture to be higher bar. To be honest, it was very organic to me to come to work everyday with maximum passion. I really liked Glovo and my mission from day one. I enjoyed it so much that you cannot imagine. I am also thankful for all the people I met."

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

On demand delivery will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.