Rite Aid taps Grubhub for on-demand delivery

Food ordering and delivery giant Grubhub has continued its expansion beyond the restaurant market through a new partnership with drug chain Rite Aid.

More than 2,000 Rite Aid stores in 16 states now offer same-day delivery for orders placed via the Grubhub Marketplace, the companies said. Customers can order a range of drugstore merchandise, from over-the-counter medicines and other health-and-wellness products to beauty and personal care items, packaged groceries and household products.

Philadelphia-based Rite Aid noted that Grubhub brings a one-stop shopping experience to online consumers, who can buy items such as vitamins, pain relief medicine, hydration drinks and better-for-you snacks, among other products, in one spot.

“Our partnership with Grubhub is another way that we are offering the convenience and access that our customers want and need to keep them and their families healthy and happy,” Dustin Humphreys, senior vice president of digital and e-commerce at Rite Aid, said in a statement. “We also look forward to expanding our reach to Grubhub’s loyal customer base and becoming a go-to option for their everyday health and wellness needs.”

Rite Aid customers also can access the online marketplace through the Grubhub membership program, which offers unlimited free delivery on orders of $12 or more and exclusive perks from restaurants on Grubhub.

Overall, Rite Aid operates more than 2,300 retail pharmacy locations in 17 states. Chicago-based Grubhub represents the drug chain’s fifth on-demand delivery partner. The pharmacy retailer piloted Instacart delivery and launched the service chainwide in 2020, and then last year it rolled same-day delivery with DoorDash, Shipt and Uber Eats.

A recent Grubhub survey of more than 2,400 U.S. adults indicated strong consumer demand for online delivery of drugstore items. Of those polled, 47% said they would avoid traveling to the drugstore when feeling sick, and 67% would instead turn to a delivery service for OTC medicines and wellness needs. And with cold and flu season getting under way, 39% of respondents said they plan to buy cold or flu medicine in the coming weeks.

Grubhub said the partnership with Rite Aid reflects its efforts to grow its presence in the convenience retail space.

In February, Grubhub announced the national rollout of its Grubhub Goods convenience concept, which offers on-demand delivery to diners from more than 3,000 Grubhub Goods locations. The expansion followed a pilot of over a dozen Grubhub Goods sites at 7-Eleven stores in Manhattan. The locations carry a selection of 7-Eleven’s most popular items—such as energy drinks, ice cream and personal care products—and are delivered by Grubhub drivers.

And then early last month, Grubhub unveiled a pilot with instant-commerce retailer GoPuff at locations in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and Austin. Under the test, Grubhub’s selection of convenience items—including grocery, alcohol, health and wellness, household, pet and baby supplies—have been made available to diners. Orders made on the Grubhub Marketplace are fulfilled and delivered by Gopuff’s local logistics network. Plans call for hundreds more Gopuff locations to become available on the Grubhub Marketplace in the coming weeks.

“We’re excited to partner with Rite Aid to grow Grubhub’s drugstore and convenience offerings, making it even easier for customers to get instant access to items that keep them healthy,” said Ariella Kurshan, senior vice president of growth at Grubhub. “This partnership could not come at a better time as we head into the winter months when delivery becomes an even more important way for people to get what they need to stay nourished and cared for when they can’t leave the house.”