Dollar General kicks off DoorDash delivery

Dollar General has jumped into the on-demand delivery arena via a national partnership with DoorDash.

More than 9,000 Dollar General stores now offer DoorDash same-day service, with the average delivery taking less than an hour, the Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based deep discount retailer said yesterday. Plans call for DoorDash delivery to become available at over 10,000 Dollar General stores by December.

The DoorDash rollout comes after Dollar General piloted the service during the summer at about 600 stores in rural and metropolitan communities.

Besides DoorDash same-day delivery, Dollar General offers its own DG Pickup click-and-collect service and DG AutoDeliver service for frequently ordered items.

“We strive to make shopping hassle-free and affordable, and our partnership with DoorDash reiterates DG’s commitment to provide convenient and contactless options,” Emily Taylor, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer at Dollar General, said in a statement. “We look forward to providing both existing and new customers with an even faster and more convenient way to experience all that DG has to offer.”

Products available for DoorDash delivery range from food and snacks to cleaning supplies and other household essentials, according to Dollar General, which added that items will carry the chain’s everyday low prices. Customers shop and place orders through DoorDash’s mobile app or online marketplace, and they aren’t required to select a time slot or meet a minimum order size.

Related:Instacart offers new ways for consumers to save on grocery shopping

To support the launch, Dollar General and DoorDash are offering shoppers 30% off their first order of $20 or more using the code DOLLAR, with a maximum discount of $20.

“Our platform was designed to connect consumers to their communities, providing increased access to food, everyday essentials and other local goods,” commented Tom Pickett, chief revenue officer at DoorDash. “We are thrilled to partner with Dollar General to provide customers across the country with convenient access to the everyday essentials they need at the affordable price points they have come to trust. With this partnership, we are proud to expand our services to areas that traditionally have not had access to same-day delivery.”

On-demand delivery with DoorDash joins Dollar General’s own DG Pickup click-and-collect service, now offered at most stores, and its DG AutoDeliver service, in which customers can schedule orders of regularly used items for delivery, with a 5% discount on each recurring order and free shipping for recurring orders exceeding $25.

Overall, Dollar General operates 17,683 stores in 46 states.

Dollar General announced the DoorDash partnership on the same day that online delivery giant Instacart unveiled the Dollar Store Hub on its e-marketplace. Through the hub, Instacart customers can browse deals and find other savings from more than 13,000 deep discount stores, including Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, 99 Cents Only and Five Below. San Francisco-based Instacart launched same-day delivery at about 7,000 Dollar Tree stores in late October, which followed up the rollout of the service to over 6,000 stores of sister chain Family Dollar in February.

Related:Dollar Tree expands same-day delivery with Instacart