New Partnership Brings Artificial Intelligence to DoorDash Mart

SAN FRANCISCO — DoorDash is adding to its technology toolbox to service its DashMart locations.

The delivery service is implementing RELEX Solutions' artificial intelligence (AI)-driven supply chain planning solution to service its convenience store concept. With the pact, RELEX will use machine learning to create forecasts that will optimize product availability.

"We are excited to partner with DoorDash to automate and optimize forecasting and replenishment for their DashMart locations," says Carlos Victoria, senior vice president, Sales Americas for RELEX. "We look forward to working with DoorDash to continue driving accuracy and efficiency in their supply chain operations."

San Francisco-based DoorDash launched DoorDash Mart in mid-2020 as a new type of c-store, offering both household essentials and local restaurant favorites to customers' doorsteps. It originally rolled out the concept in eight cities: Chicago; Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Minneapolis; Salt Lake City; the greater Phoenix area; and Redwood City, Calif. 

DoorDash has since expanded its DoorDash Mart product assortment. Earlier this year, it implemented Accelerator for Local Goods, an educational program designed to uplift local consumer packaged goods businesses owned by entrepreneurs who are women, transgender, immigrants or people of color.

DoorDash Accelerator for Local Goods program consists of a live and self-guided six-week course designed in partnership with Next Street, a mission-driven small business solutions firm, which will cover six topics, including supply chain management, wholesale vendor relationship management, managing cash flow and business development.

Beyond the educational component, participants receive a $5,000 grant to support their business needs, access to marketing and sales support from DoorDash and the guarantee to sell their products via DashMart.

Retailers Are Turning to AI

In 2021, Kum & Go LC tapped RELEX for unified supply chain and merchandising optimization through AI. Through the partnership, Kum & Go aimed to expand its existing merchandising capabilities to enable easier vendor collaboration and performance-driven assortment decisions, as Convenience Store News reported.

The partnership also allows the c-store operator to: 

• Enhance its existing replenishment process through RELEX's machine-learning-driven forecasts that factor in additional data sources, increasing order accuracy. 
• Take advantage of RELEX's On The Go mobility solution, which drives store-level exception-based order review, enables mobile planogram review, and allows for seamless interaction between their operations and merchandising teams.

Sheetz also partnered with RELEX in January. According to Sheetz, it sought a reliable solution with advanced functionality that could support demand planning across its supply chain network within a single system.

It selected RELEX due to its adaptable, unified supply chain management solution, which will improve collaboration and visibility throughout the vertically integrated network of Sheetz, as CSNews reported.