Does DoorDash deliver groceries? The answer is yes, DoorDash does deliver groceries. While apps like Instacart and Shipt are typically better suited for grocery delivery, customers can order groceries via DoorDash and Dashers can deliver groceries too.
So how does grocery delivery work? In this post, we’ll go over how the grocery delivery process works with DoorDash and what you can do to make sure your grocery order goes smoothly. If you’re a Dasher, we’ll also discuss whether it’s worth accepting grocery delivery orders from DoorDah.
Does DoorDash Deliver Groceries?
While DoorDash is known more for restaurant deliveries, you can order groceries with DoorDash from participating grocery stores and big box stores such as Walmart and Target. Customers can also place orders from convenience stores like Walgreens and CVS. You can also order items from smaller convenience stores like 7/11. Some gas stations will also allow customers to order from them with DoorDash.
As for how it works, as a customer, you’ll look up the store you want to order from in the DoorDash app and select your items. Your grocery delivery request will then get sent out to available Dashers. Most of the time, Dashers will be responsible for shopping for your order. That means the Dasher will go to the store, find the items you requested, pay for the items, and then deliver the items to your location. Since Dashers usually have to shop for your order, it does take a little more time compared to ordering from a restaurant, where the Dasher only needs to pick up your order.
Some stores may also have it set up where the store picks and prepares the items in advance, then hands them off to the Dasher when they arrive. In my experience, these types of orders usually apply to small convenience stores and gas stations (think places like 7/11 and Holiday gas stations). For example, here’s a delivery I did where the customer ordered a can of Red Bull from a gas station. When I arrived, the order was already prepared for me to pick up.
When ordering groceries from DoorDash, it’s important to note that the prices in the DoorDash app may not match the prices in the store. Any sales that the store is offering also likely will not apply. DoorDash Dashers are instructed not to provide customers with the physical receipt they receive from the store, so you won’t know what the prices are in the store when you receive your order.
Tips For Customers When Ordering Groceries With DoorDash
DoorDash grocery deliveries are a little different from normal restaurant deliveries, primarily because most Dashers will have to shop and pay for the order. Since Dashers have to shop for the order, it’ll take more time for the Dasher and require more work on their part.
Here’s an example video of when I did a grocery delivery order from a local grocery store. This order was a bit more difficult because I couldn’t find an item and had to ask a store employee for help.
Here’s another one where I delivered some stuff from Target to a customer. This one also came with some interesting challenges because the customer asked me to add an item for them that they had forgotten.
As a Dasher, I’m usually hesitant to accept grocery delivery orders because of the added time and complication that often comes with it. If you’re a customer ordering groceries with DoorDash, I recommend following these tips to help ensure the smoothest grocery delivery experience.
1. Tip Appropriately
DoorDash does tend to pay Dashers more for grocery deliveries, but it’s not usually much. If you’re ordering grocery delivery, it’s important to provide a good tip to compensate your Dasher for the added time it takes to shop for your order.
Of course, tipping is not mandatory, but without a tip, it may take longer for a Dasher to accept your grocery order. That’s because if the order isn’t paying much, many Dashers won’t accept your order, which means it’ll sit there for a while until DoorDash raises the pay enough to make it worthwhile.
2. Keep Your Phone With You Or Allow Automatic Substitutions
One of the most frustrating parts of doing DoorDash grocery delivery is when the customer isn’t responsive when I contact them. When Dashers shop for a customer’s order, sometimes the requested item won’t be available. Dashers need to scan each item they pick up and if the item isn’t exactly the same as what the customer requested, the app won’t let it go through. This is true even if the difference between the scanned item and the requested item is only slightly different.
In situations where the item isn’t available, Dashers will need to contact the customer to get approval on a substitute item (or cancel the requested item entirely). That means when you place a grocery delivery order as a customer, you should keep your phone with you and respond to messages from your Dasher quickly. Otherwise, they’ll be forced to wait at the store for you to respond, causing them to waste more time. For Dashers, time is money, so being stuck at a grocery store waiting for a customer is not ideal.
3. Try To Keep Your Grocery Delivery Orders Simple
Keeping grocery orders simple is the best thing you can do when it comes to ordering groceries with DoorDash. Since Dashers need to shop for the order, it makes shopping faster for them if the order is simple.
If you can, try to keep your grocery orders to only a few items. If you do need to order a lot of things, try to make sure they’re easy-to-find items. And of course, make sure to keep your phone near you so that you can respond to any substitution requests.
Should You Accept DoorDash Grocery Orders?
As a Dasher, should you accept grocery delivery orders? I’m generally hesitant to accept grocery orders because of how much longer they take. If the order is a lot of items, I almost always will reject it, even if the order is paying well. That’s because the more items that are involved, the more things that can go wrong. Inevitably, these orders take much longer than you’d expect.
If the order is only a few items, I will accept it if the order is going where I want to go and is paying decently well. Most of the time, that means I’m accepting orders from places like CVS or Walgreens, where customers are typically only ordering a few items and I know I’ll be able to find the items fairly easily. For the most part, I’ll reject orders from traditional grocery stores because I always have trouble finding items in a grocery store.
My advice is to stick to smaller orders, as those will usually be easy to complete. Whether the order is paying enough will be up to you to decide. I’d avoid larger orders just because of the added hassle, especially if it’s an order from a traditional grocery store. In my experience, places like Target are good at directing you to the correct aisles where the items are located, but many grocery stores don’t give you any information about where an item is located, which means you’ll waste a lot of time walking around the store.
Final Thoughts
DoorDash does deliver groceries. Grocery deliveries require more work from Dashers because most of the time, the Dasher has to shop and pay for the order using the DoorDash Red Card.
For customers, the most important things you can do are tip well to compensate Dashers for the extra time it takes to shop for the order and perhaps more importantly, keep your phone nearby and be responsive to inquiries or substitution requests from your Dasher. I know that as a Dasher, it makes my life much easier when the customer responds quickly to any messages or substitutions I send to them.
Leave a Reply