DoorDash Marketplace Expands With On-Demand Alcohol Delivery

SAN FRANCISCO — DoorDash customers can now order beer, wine and spirits in 20 states and Washington, D.C., as well as Canada and Australia — expanding the reach of DoorDash Marketplace to more than 100 million customers worldwide.

In select markets where it is legally permissible, customers can toggle to the alcohol tab of the DoorDash app to browse and safely order from a wide selection of drinks from restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores and local retailers.

The expansion follows multiple years of offering alcohol delivery on demand for many national and local merchants via their own channels with DoorDash Drive, the company's white label fulfillment service.

"Over the past year, many cities where we operate evolved their legislation in order to permit the delivery of alcohol to residents' homes. Over that time, we worked tirelessly to build a trusted alcohol ordering and delivery experience for merchants, customers and Dashers," said Caitlin Macnamara, director, alcohol strategy and operations at DoorDash. "We're committed to providing new earning opportunities for merchants and Dashers, a safe, high quality experience for customers, and being a responsible leader in compliant alcohol delivery."

DoorDash offers an alcohol catalogue that includes 30,000 SKUs available for purchase across thousands of retailers and restaurants nationally. With the recent rollout of DoubleDash, customers in select markets can now bundle alcohol with their restaurant meal on certain orders, as Convenience Store News previously reported.

To ensure responsible, compliant and safe delivery of alcohol, DoorDash has implemented several safeguards, including:

• Rigorous ID verification prior to checkout and multiple ID checkpoints along the delivery to ensure customers are of legal age;
• A compliance course available to Dashers 21 years or older to ensure they are aware of the laws around the delivery of alcohol, and regular communication with Dashers across the timespan of a delivery to remind them of the proper protocols for lawful delivery;
• Enabling customers to voluntarily exclude themselves from receiving alcohol orders from DoorDash, which will also exclude them from direct marketing communication surrounding alcohol-related promos; and
• Additional support and resources related to alcohol consumption that can be accessed anytime.

To reinforce these commitments, DoorDash partnered with Responsibility.org and Students Against Destructive Decisions, aimed at promoting alcohol responsibility and preventing underage drinking.

"We are proud to work alongside DoorDash to strengthen responsibility efforts in our communities and on our roadways by providing guidance and proven resources to help prevent impaired driving and underage drinking," said Chris Swonger, president and CEO, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States and Responsibility.org. "Whether you're a Dasher, a restaurant employee, or a customer — we are all stronger when we're united by a commitment to a culture of alcohol responsibility."

San Francisco-based DoorDash operates an online food ordering and food delivery platform.