Dive Brief:

• DoorDash has partnered with plant-based meat company Beyond Meat to sell grilling kits in the days leading up to the Fourth of July, according to a Monday press release from the restaurant-focused delivery company.
• The kits, which will include Beyond Meat's Beyond Burger as well as grilling supplies and a recipe card, will be available for $14.99 starting on Thursday in 14 U.S. cities through DashMart, DoorDash's online convenience store.
• ​DoorDash's arrangement with Beyond Meat builds on previous efforts by the e-commerce platform to plant its brand in the online grocery delivery industry.

Dive Insight:

The holiday-themed partnership with Beyond Meat intensifies DoorDash's push to grab attention from e-commerce providers like Instacart and Shipt that dominate the grocery-delivery space.

Although the tie-up is centered around a single food item, it reflects a broader effort by DoorDash to encourage shoppers to associate its brand and app with items sold by supermarkets. The initiative began last summer when the company began working with retailers including Smart & Final, Meijer and Fresh Thyme Farmers Market to offer grocery delivery services.

DoorDash's foray into grocery delivery in 2020 came just weeks after the company unveiled its convenience-focused DashMart service, which provides delivery of a range of products in as little as 30 minutes and is currently live in more than 25 cities.

Last week, DoorDash made its biggest splash in grocery yet, announcing that it's delivering from nearly 2,000 Albertsons stores in as little as an hour.

In addition to generating buzz, the delivery company's exclusive with Beyond Meat also raises the possibility that third-party apps will offer more direct selling opportunities for suppliers that have mainly relied on grocery stores and their online storefronts. 

Earlier this month, online meat purveyor ButcherBox announced a deal to sell its products in a handful of large cities through a storefront on Instacart. It's the latest storefront partnership for the e-commerce provider, which also hosts an online alcohol store known as The Wine Shop in conjunction with adult beverage specialist Drinks.

Although year-over-year sales in online grocery are starting to fall, overall usage remains significantly higher than before the pandemic. That's driving rapid-fire developments from e-commerce providers. In addition to Instacart and DoorDash expanding their presence, Uber, which launched grocery delivery last summer, recently announced it has acquired the remainder of delivery firm Cornershop.