Dive Brief:
- Schnuck Markets has teamed up with DoorDash in the St. Louis area, the family-owned grocery chain announced on Monday.
- Customers within 6 miles of five different stores can get prepared meals from the deli by placing orders through the Schnucks Rewards app or by visiting DoorDash directly, according to the press release. Shoppers can get items like rotisserie chickens, sandwiches, chicken wings and side dishes.
- The new tie-up allows Schnucks, which already is partnered with Instacart, to expand its customer base to those using the restaurant food delivery and takeout app. For DoorDash, working with Schnucks comes at a time when the service is expanding into grocery.
Dive Insight:
The announcement follows months of Schnucks rolling out new initiatives to appeal to customers who want ready-to-eat offerings.
In January, the grocery chain started offering in its delis a new line of prepared meals called “Restaurant Selections by Schnucks,” which includes a culinary theme that changes every two months. Schnucks said it plans to have the meals available across its four-state footprint by this month.
Since last spring, Schnucks has repeatedly extended and expanded its partnerships with local restaurants to offer grab-and-go options at its stores. Currently, the grocer works with more than 19 restaurant partners, which include 11 Black-owned restaurants, according to the grocer's website.
In November, Schnucks announced a curbside pickup expansion with Instacart, bringing its number of stores with the offering to 70. Schnucks highlighted in the announcement that the DoorDash partnership “complements” its existing relationship with Instacart.
DoorDash, which introduced on-demand grocery delivery last summer, isn't the only app-centric restaurant delivery service turning to grocery. Uber also started piloting its grocery service around the same time in select U.S. cities.
So far, DoorDash has teamed up with several grocers like Hy-Vee, Meijer, Smart & Final and Fresh Thyme. The food delivery service has indicated that it's serious about growing its grocery offerings.
"In 2021, we intend to continue to drive development in convenience and grocery," the company said in a message to shareholders in February. DoorDash noted in the message that it also launched recently into non-food categories like pet supplies and flowers and will continue to explore venturing into other verticals, as well.
