DISCUSSION
Will the latest Amazon and DoorDash delivery moves give each a leg up on rivals?
Written by George Anderson
Amazon.com and DoorDash, in two unrelated moves announced last week, plan to improve on their delivery offers, which will likely put more pressure on their respective rivals as the ongoing last mile competition continues on.
Free delivery and fulfillment speed are critical to Amazon’s pitch for Prime members and now those participating in the retail and tech giant’s annual subscription plan will have expanded access to same-day delivery on up to three million products across dozens of categories if they live in Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Tampa, Charlotte or Houston. These cities are being added to Amazon’s same-day markets — Philadelphia, Phoenix, Orlando and Dallas, all of which began offering the service last year.
Amazon’s same-day offer is free for orders of $35 or more. It also enables Prime members who place orders before midnight to get delivery on applicable items by 8:00 a.m. the next morning. It credits the creation of mini fulfillment centers staffed by locals as the key to the quick turnaround on same-day orders.
The company is also touting the service as better for the environment. Amazon has said that it is able to cut carbon emissions by locating its new fulfillment centers closer to the customers receiving deliveries.
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DoorDash announced last week the debut of DoubleDash, a new program through which customers of the online delivery service can place restaurant orders and then have items from other businesses picked up along the way at no additional cost.
Participating partners in the program include 7-Eleven, Walgreens, Wawa, QuickChek and The Ice Cream Shop. Dashmart, DoorDash’s own store offering thousands of convenience and grocery items, is also a source for add-on products. The company also said it is testing a program that offers members special deals when they place orders with more than one restaurant at a time. DoorDash is introducing the service in the U.S. and Canada.
DoubleDash is being promoted by DoorDash as “the next step toward getting everything you want from your neighborhood delivered together in a one-stop shop experience.”
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