DoorDash stated today that it would begin offering “ultra-fast” deliveries in 10-15 minutes in New York City, starting with a single DashMart store, To begin, ultra-fast deliveries will available from a new site in Chelsea, with more locations and partners in New York and internationally to follow in the coming months. In addition, the firm is experimenting with a new type of employment that depends on full-time employees rather than gig workers to manage these new deliveries.
DashMart, the company’s digital convenience store channel, debuted in April 2020. DashMarts provide everyday commodities as well as stuff that would be found at a convenience shop. They are effectively 2,000-item micro-fulfillment facilities where DashMart warehouse personnel pick and pack orders before delivery workers known as Dashers come to collect and deliver the order to the consumer.
Customers in the delivery zone can place an order for delivery from DashMart via the DoorDash app or website starting today. The DashMart Chelsea branch will be open every day from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., according to the firm. These ultra-fast deliveries are confined to a narrower radius from the DashMart location to assure the 15-minute delivery time, which decreases the courier’s journey and ensures they will be traveling familiar routes. Their e-bikes will be limited to 20 mph, according to DoorDash.
In addition, the firm said that ultra-fast delivery would provide a new chance for couriers looking for a regular schedule and higher pay. DashCorps, a newly formed DoorDash subsidiary, will hire couriers who will work regular shifts and report to a supervisor. Employees will be paid an hourly pay starting at $15 per hour plus gratuities, as well as additional full-time benefits such as medical, dentistry, and vision insurance, as well as Employee Assistance Programs, Flexible Spending Accounts, and commuting benefits.
Employees of DashCorps will utilize new software built expressly for their profession, which involves obligations such as shelf stocking, customer service, and administrative labor in addition to delivery. According to the firm, they will wear a uniform and work an average of 20 hours a week, with many working full-time. DoorDash already works with over 400 local convenience stores and grocers in New York City, and it wants to grow to additional local bodegas through collaborations with DashCorps, according to the company.
This new possibility shows that DoorDash is altering its strategy away from its tight gig worker paradigm. It is worth mentioning that DoorDash is one of the numerous gig firms that have battled rules that would give gig employees more rights. The company’s recent revelation marks a shift away from the existing gig worker model, which it has pushed to maintain. “We’re happy to be a pioneer in creating economic options that fit so many people’s lifestyles.” In a statement, DoorDash President Christopher Payne stated, “We’re enthusiastic about the new job opportunity that DashCorps presents for a different form of labor.”
The new courier app for full-time workers will include DoorDash’s in-app safety tools, SafeDash, in addition to offering safety training and equipment to courier personnel. The recently created toolbox is aimed at ensuring the safety of its delivery providers while on the job.
In New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, SafeDash is available. SafeDash will be available to users on the platform’s delivery side across the United States before the end of the year.
In addition, the firm announced the formation of a new small business advisory group that would guide future relationships with small enterprises in New York. The Yemeni American Merchant Association (YAMA), small business advocacy and social assistance group based in New York, has also collaborated with DoorDash.
