DoorDash has announced expansion plans that include branching into alcohol deliveries and more, as the company braces for the reality that COVID-19 has changed the landscape of meal delivery services forever, according to CNBC.
The company is also looking to grow globally, entering new markets like Japan, and open an online store that offers direct ordering, pickup and delivery services to cater to customers' growing demands.
“...Consumer expectations have changed in the last eight years since we began, and that on the whole, people want access to more things, faster. That expectation has only amplified during the pandemic, as more people are exposed to the benefits and conveniences of on-demand delivery and pickup,” Andy Fang, co-founder and CTO of DoorDash, told CNBC.
Even after services have returned to normal in many cities and states, consumers are sticking with habits they embraced during the pandemic, including having meals delivered to the house.
“...They are continuing to order at higher rates, even in the face of reopenings. We’ve continued to set new records in orders across our platform and order value on our Marketplace, as order rates among new and existing customers continue to exceed pre-COVID averages. This also means that we’ve been able to create more economic opportunities for merchants and Dashers,” Fang said.
Fang explained that non-restaurant categories of deliveries, such as grocery, convenience store products, alcohol, flowers and gifts, have grown 40% from the end of 2020 to the end of 2021 quarter one.
“Our mission at DoorDash is to empower local economies, and while we started in the U.S., we’ve always had an intention to broaden our impact and provide value to merchants, consumers and Dashers in other countries,” Fang said.
The company, which went public in December of 2020, has launched in Japan, and there is now talk of starting operations in Europe. Fang looks at each country as having unique needs, but sees DoorDash as capable of making a difference for stakeholders, according to CNBC.
At the onset of the pandemic, more than 40% of merchants lacked an online channel to access customers.