DoorDash offers retailers employee benefit services

DoorDash is now providing retailers using its on-demand delivery platform access to a number of managed employee benefit offerings. 

The company is launching Merchant Benefits, a new initiative designed to make discounted benefit products and services available to its retail partners. In the first iteration of the program, DoorDash is collaborating with six third-party partners with benefit offerings in areas such as healthcare, mental health benefits, and continued career development.

Here's more on Merchant Benefits offerings now available for DoorDash retail partners:

• Plans beginning at $5 per month with Sesame, a cash-pay healthcare marketplace which connects employees directly to physicians at affordable prices without insurance. Services include in-person and virtual primary care, mental health services, and specialty care. Available in U.S. only.
• Discounted subscriptions to Breathwrk, a personal health app which provides breathing exercises designed to reduce stress and improve focus for employees inside and out of the workplace. Available globally in English.
• 40% or more off EdApp by SafetyCulture, an all-in-one mobile-first training platform. Utilizing courses created specifically for the hospitality and retail industries, DoorDash partners can upskill their staff. Available in the US, Canada, and Australia.

• 15% off StateFoodSafety, an online food safety education company which offers an assortment of ANSI-approved, state-mandated hospitality training certifications including Food Handler, Food Manager, Allergen Awareness, and Alcohol Server. Available in the US.
• One month free of Landed, an end-to-end hourly employee recruiting platform which automates candidate engagement, screening, and interview scheduling. Available in the U.S.
• Four months free of 7shifts, a team management platform for restaurants designed to help make more profitable decisions, improve team retention, and organize operations. Available in the U.S. and Canada.

DoorDash expands range of offerings
In June 2022, DoorDash completed the acquisition of Helsinki, Finland-based online delivery platform Wolt Enterprises Oy in an all-stock transaction. This purchase brought DoorDash to operations a total of 27 countries, including the U.S., making a major global player in the online delivery space.

As DoorDash has been expanding across the globe this year, it has also been increasing the services it provides beyond hosted delivery. For example, in March 2022, the company acquired Bbot, a start-up offering hospitality solutions such as in-store digital ordering and payments.

And in October 2022, DoorDash introduced new self-serve ad solutions designed to give its CPG partners more flexibility and options. The company’s new self-serve ad products include a CPG ads manager, third-party partnerships with Pacvue and Flywheel, and API integrations.

DoorDash’s entry into providing managed benefits bring it into territory occupied by tech giants like Amazon. Chief DoorDash rival Instacart has essentially transformed itself into an Amazon-style tech platform (under the leadership of former Facebook executive Fidji Simo), and DoorDash may be trying to follow a similar path.

"The economic fluctuations that come with running a small to medium-sized business challenge employers in many ways, including being able to provide affordable benefits to staff," said Christopher Payne, president and COO at DoorDash. "Given our vast network of merchant partners, we've negotiated these benefits on their behalf who would otherwise face a steep surcharge, eliminating a barrier to growing teams to their full potential."

DoorDash will not administer the benefits, but instead work with established partners that will administer the benefits directly to participating retailers. As the needs of businesses evolve, DoorDash says it will continue to partner with additional companies as part of Merchant Benefits.

To learn more about Merchant Benefits click here.