DoorDash launches retail returns service, self-designed drones
DoorDash says it will offer retail customers the ability to return goods to local retailers in a further challenge to traditional couriers, and is launching its own drone delivery airline. The post DoorDash launches retail returns service, self-designed drones appeared first on FreightWaves .
DoorDash has launched a retail returns service and developed a custom drone delivery system, as part of its strategy to expand its last-mile logistics network. These new offerings are designed to make shopping and ordering food, grocery, and retail items more convenient for consumers. The returns program, called Dasher Returns, is currently available in select cities and aims to roll out nationwide in November.
Customers will pay a flat fee of $7.99 for each return, with no box or label required. DoorDash drivers will pick up return orders within 30 minutes and return them to the store, where the return will be processed and a refund issued within days.
DoorDash's entry into the reverse logistics market allows them to tap into a higher-margin segment and compete with parcel shipping incumbents like FedEx and UPS, which have been focusing more on returns than short-distance delivery in the B2C e-commerce market. Earlier this year, Uber Eats also introduced a similar returns service for its customers.
By integrating a retail product into its marketplace, DoorDash enables shoppers to order goods from popular retailers such as Macy's, Anthropologie, The North Face, Vans, and Timberland, among others. Recently, Costco and Skims have also started delivery partnerships with DoorDash. The company calls this retail product "Mall-in-Your-Pocket" due to the fast delivery options offered from hundreds of stores nationwide on one platform.
In addition to its returns service, DoorDash has also ventured into drone delivery. The company's own robotics and automation division, DoorDash Labs, developed six-rotor drones. These drones will provide faster delivery options from local restaurants and convenience stores, complementing the existing delivery options offered by third-party drone operators like Alphabet’s Wing and Flytrex.
DoorDash aims to provide multiple drone delivery options to ensure resilience in their network and better serve merchants and consumers.
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