Hy-Vee, Meijer begin DoorDash alcohol delivery

Fast-growing on-demand delivery provider DoorDash has launched alcohol delivery with Meijer and Hy-Vee.

Also on Thursday, convenience store chain Sheetz unveiled a partnership with San Francisco-based DoorDash to offer same-day delivery of food, groceries and essential items from most of its stores.

At Grand Rapids, Mich.-based supercenter chain Meijer, customers in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio can order alcoholic beverages from the stand-alone Meijer Beer Wine & Spirits store on the DoorDash app and website. DoorDash noted that alcohol from Meijer stores also is available for delivery through its recently launched DoubleDash service, which lets customers to add items from nearby stores to their original order.

Hy-Vee customers, meanwhile, can order alcohol from the West Des Moines, Iowa-based grocer’s marketplace on the DoorDash app and website in Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska. With the launch, shoppers also can now add alcohol directly from Hy-Vee to a Meijer grocery order, enabling consumers to build a mixed basket, according to DoorDash. 

DoorDash will provide last-mile delivery of convenience essentials from more than 560 Sheetz stores.

Before checkout, both Hy-Vee and Meijer customers buying alcohol via DoorDash will be required to upload their ID for age verification, DoorDash said, adding that upon delivery they also must receive their order from the Dasher in person.

Related:DoorDash launches 15-minute grocery delivery in NYC

Online sales of alcoholic beverages have boomed since last year, according to the DoorDash Grocery Online Ordering Trends Report. DoorDash orders of all alcohol types — including hard cider, alcohol, wine and beer — more than doubled from January-June 2021 versus the prior-year period. When announcing the addition of alcohol purchases to its delivery service in September, DoorDash noted that the category can boost merchant subtotals by up to 30%. 

“We’re excited to grow our relationships with our grocery partners to expand alcohol selection to customers nationwide,” Caitlin Macnamara, director of alcohol strategy and operations at DoorDash, said in a statement. “Whether you’re stocking up for a holiday gathering or running low on game-day beverages, consumers can now get their preferred wine, spirits, beer, and more delivered directly to their door.”

Under the new partnership with Sheetz, DoorDash will provide on-demand, last-mile delivery of convenience essentials from more than 560 of Sheetz’s 630-plus stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.

Sheetz customers initially can place orders for delivery via DoorDash’s website or mobile app. The Altoona, Pa.-based chain said that, in late January 2022, shoppers also will be able to place DoorDash same-day delivery orders from Sheetz’s website and mobile app. The service is powered by DoorDash Drive, DoorDash’s white-label fulfillment platform.

Related:Dollar General kicks off DoorDash delivery

One of DoorDash's latest grocery retail partners is greater L.A.-area specialty chain Bristol Farms.

“This new partnership with DoorDash allows Sheetz to significantly expand delivery options and continue to deliver on our mission to give customers what they want, when they want it, how they want it,” according to Ryan Sheetz, vice president of marketing and brand at the convenience store chain. “Customers can still order from our extensive Made-to-Order menu and select custom options with the touch of a finger, and now they can do it from the comfort of their home.”

Items available from Sheetz for DoorDash delivery include a variety of the retailer’s signature Made-to-Order menu and Sheetz Brothers Coffee beverages, among other breakfast, lunch, dinner and appetizer options. Convenience items such as bottled drinks, energy drinks, candy, snack bars, chips and medicine will also be available for purchase and delivery through the e-commerce platform.  

From Dec. 22 to Jan. 5, Sheetz and DoorDash are waiving the delivery fee on orders $15 or more in support of the new partnership.

“We are excited to partner with Sheetz to expand selection across the Mid-Atlantic region and give consumers a fast and simple way to access their favorite Sheetz convenience items, made-to-order foods, and more, on-demand,” said Shanna Prevé, Vice President, Business Development at DoorDash.

Known primarily for restaurant deliveries, DoorDash has continued to expand rapidly in the food and grocery arena. Earlier this month, DoorDash introduced “ultra-fast” grocery delivery in New York City — in 15 minutes or less — with the launch of a new DashMart location in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. Also, in October, the delivery specialist entered a reseller agreement with United Natural Foods Inc. to offer delivery service to independent supermarkets, which followed a partnership with Albertsons Cos. to launch DoorDash delivery in nearly 2,000 supermarkets.

DoorDash, too, has widened its field of retail partners, including the November launch of on-demand service — with the average delivery taking less than an hour — at over 9,000 Dollar General stores.

And last week, DoorDash same-day delivery kicked off at Southern California grocer Bristol Farms, which operates 14 specialty supermarkets in the greater Los Angeles market. Through its website and app, DoorDash will offer thousands of items from Bristol Farms, including premium and organic produce, fresh baked goods, full-service premium meats, fresh fish, artisanal cheese, ready-to-eat meals, and specialty and conventional food items.

“Our partnership with DoorDash further supports our commitment to provide a convenient one-stop shop to experience all that BF has to offer,” stated Adam Caldecott, CEO of Carson, Calif.-based Bristol Farms. We’re excited to further expand our online options to better serve both new and existing customers.”