SpartanNash taps DoorDash for on-demand grocery delivery

Grocery distributor/retailer SpartanNash has partnered with last-mile delivery specialist DoorDash to provide on-demand service to its corporate-run supermarkets and independent grocery customers.

Grand Rapids, Mich.-based SpartanNash said Tuesday that more than 100 of its company-owned stores — including banners such as Family Fare and Martin’s Super Markets — will offer DoorDash as a same-day grocery delivery option. In addition, SpartanNash’s 2,100 independent retail customers will be able to offer online grocery shopping and delivery via the DoorDash marketplace app and website, as well as through DoorDash Drive, a white-label platform enabling end-to-end grocery e-commerce service, including on-demand delivery.

Plans call for more than 100 of SpartanNash's 145 corporate-operated supermarkets, including Family Fare and Martin’s Super Markets, to offer DoorDash delivery service.

“Customer-centric innovation is a key priority to drive growth at SpartanNash, and joining forces with DoorDash will enable us to expand our customer base and capture more of the grocery retail market by rapidly scaling our digital offering with a leading partner,” SpartanNash President and CEO Tony Sarsam said in a statement. “We know our customers’ grocery needs well and have the supply chain and retail footprint to provide strategic service based on their preferences. This partnership with DoorDash complements our collective strengths and will drive growth across the food ecosystem — from food distribution to e-commerce — to deliver the ingredients for a better life.”

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Under the partnership, plans also call for SpartanNash to serve as a distributor of pantry items and household products to DoorDash DashMart locations, starting in New York City and later expanding to more markets. San Francisco-based DoorDash introduced DashMarts in 2020 to provide delivery of convenience items on-demand via a micro-fulfillment model. DashMarts now offer more than 2,000 items, including fresh and frozen groceries, snacks, household goods and local products.

The first Dashmarts launched in eight cities — Chicago; Minneapolis; Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; Dallas; Salt Lake City; Phoenix; and Redwood City, Calif. — and have since expanded to Denver; San Francisco, San Diego and Sacramento, Calif.; Baltimore; and New York City. DoorDash opened a DashMart in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, offering 15-minute grocery delivery, in December.

“We are excited to partner with SpartanNash to bring innovative e-commerce solutions to their beloved grocery banners across the Midwest, independent grocers and retailers so that they can build their omnichannel presence and provide consumers with access to convenient, on-demand grocery delivery,” DoorDash CEO and co-founder Tony Xu stated. “We are proud to work together to empower independent grocers with the tools and resources needed to grow their businesses and expand their digital footprints.”

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SpartanNash also provides its Fast Lane online grocery delivery and pickup service at roughly half of its company-owned stores.

SpartanNash also provides online grocery delivery and pickup at its corporate stores through its Fast Lane service. Overall, the distributor operates 145 grocery stores in Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin under the banners D&W Fresh Market, Dan’s Supermarket, Family Fare, Family Fresh Market, Forest Hills Foods, Martin’s Super Markets, No Frills Supermarkets, SunMart, Supermercado Nuestra Familia and VG’s Grocery.

“SpartanNash’s rapid innovation and digital platform expansion are part of our overarching omnichannel growth strategy,” commented Masiar Tayebi, executive vice president and chief strategy officer at SpartanNash. “Our partnership with DoorDash cuts across the full food value chain and signifies another important milestone in our journey to better serve our customers as their needs evolve. We look forward to leveraging DoorDash’s expansive reach to offer a premium consumer experience at scale.”