SAN FRANCISCO— Six months into DoorDash delivering beer, wine and spirits via the DoorDash Marketplace in 22 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and elsewhere, the company is highlighting the financial benefits for retailers and its employees.
DoorDash estimates that adding alcohol to a convenience store’s menu might increase customer order values by more than 50% and orders at restaurants by as much as 30%. “These orders provide additional earning opportunities for Dashers and tend to have higher average order values, which helps increase Dasher earnings,” the company said.
“In 2021’s fourth quarter, U.S. Dashers earned, on average, almost 30% more on deliveries with alcohol than on non-alcohol deliveries,” said the company, adding that actual earnings might differ and depend on factors including number of deliveries completed, time of day, location and expenses.
From October to December, San Francisco-based DoorDash said, the number of merchants selling alcohol on the platform in the U.S. increased 17%.
Alcohol delivery also has yielded positive results at the local level, the company added. “Today, many states allow for direct delivery of alcohol to consumers’ homes, and we’re seeing strong impacts on earnings for Dashers as more merchants embrace delivery,” DoorDash said. For instance, in fourth-quarter 2021, in a few states that allow alcohol delivery, here’s how much more on average Dashers earned for deliveries with alcohol than without, and the percentage growth in merchants selling alcohol through DoorDash’s platform:
- California, 22%; platform growth: 10%
- Connecticut, 22%; platform growth: 22%
- Ohio, 34%; platform growth: 16%
- Oregon, 21%; platform growth: 26%
- Virginia, 14%; platform growth: 14%
- Washington, 19%; platform growth: 36%
“Delivery is just one way that advancements in alcohol regulations can benefit consumers and small businesses,” the company said. “DoorDash stands with restaurants in supporting the passage of permanent legislation to allow for the sale of to-go drinks in additional states, which provided a lifeline for restaurants during the worst of the pandemic and continues to play an important role in expanding sales as the industry builds back from the global pandemic.”
DoorDash said it is working with policymakers, community leaders, merchants and other stakeholders on ways to ensure it can continue to expand alcohol delivery across regions in a safe and responsible way. This includes:
- Rigorous ID verification.
- Compliance courses for Dashers 21 and over where required by law.
- Working with groups like Responsibility.org, the National Association of Women Law Enforcement.Executives and Students Against Destructive Decisions.
“We’re proud to partner with DoorDash to help educate Dashers about alcohol safety and responsibility and arm them with the tools to prevent sales to minors as well as prevent irresponsible consumption through alcohol delivery,” said Brandy Axdahl, senior vice president of responsibility initiatives for Responsibility.org. “It is important to stay nimble in our approach to preventing underage drinking, impaired driving and irresponsible drinking.”
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