On a different route: Why platform-coordinated food delivery in Germany is conducted without self-employed gig work

This study examines the divergent development of the platform-based food delivery sector in Germany, focusing on why the ideal-typical gig economy model based on self-employed couriers has not taken hold. Unlike other countries, Germany stands out as an exceptional case where large food delivery platforms classify their workers as employees, providing them with rights and benefits such as minimum wage, paid vacation, and sick leave. The study uses a historical-sociological case study approach to reconstruct the development of the sector and the decision-making processes that have influenced this development. Drawing on historical institutionalism, the analysis examines different heuristics for divergent paths: self-reinforcing path dependence, self-induced reactive sequences, critical junctures, mindful path creation, and transformative incremental change. The study finds that early market shaping by the pioneering company Bringdienst.de (later called Pizza.de), which focused on equipping restaurants to deliver online orders without taking responsibility for the delivery itself, significantly influenced the market environment. In addition, a court ruling in 2020 has increased the risk perception of bogus self-employment among platforms, leading to the abandonment of the gig worker model with self-employed couriers. The study concludes that the critical juncture heuristic, combined with a shadow of the past effect of market constitution, best explains the unique development in Germany.