Overview
Over the course of 2023, the number of total merchants selling alcohol on DoorDash Marketplace in the US increased by 37%.
Nearly 1 million Dashers completed an alcohol delivery for the first time in 2023.
In 2023, Dashers earned, on average, nearly 20% more on deliveries with alcohol compared with deliveries without.
Consumers today have more options than ever when it comes to safe and responsible alcohol delivery, whether that’s ordering cocktails-to-go to pair with a meal from their favorite local restaurant, getting a six-pack delivered for the big game, or settling in with a bottle of wine for a family movie night. In 2023, continued expansion at the state level of responsible alcohol means that consumers, merchants, and Dashers in 32 states nationwide, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, can now enjoy the benefits of these services.
The benefits of alcohol delivery go far beyond simple convenience. Responsible alcohol delivery can help local merchants to grow their business, create more earnings opportunities for Dashers, and offer customers a safe way to buy alcohol from the comfort of their homes. From big cities to small towns, we’re proud of the impact that responsible alcohol delivery has had to help grow and empower local economies in 2023.
Local Impact of Alcohol Delivery in 2023
Hover over the states where we power alcohol delivery below to find out more
Helping Local Businesses Of All Kinds Grow and Thrive
Merchants offering responsible alcohol delivery through DoorDash come in all shapes and sizes, from restaurants offering unique cocktails-to-go and convenient corner wine stores to destination liquor stores with thousands of products from around the world. Over the course of 2023, the number of total merchants selling alcohol on DoorDash Marketplace in the US increased by 37%.*
For liquor stores in particular, third-party delivery has continued to deliver significant benefits. The total liquor stores available on the DoorDash Marketplace in the US increased by more than 60% throughout 2023, offering more consumers a wider selection and more ways to enjoy the best of their communities.
We’re seeing how these opportunities can help beyond just directly supporting those businesses on our platform. For example, local craft breweries, whose unique flavors and identities often reflect the communities they come from, can reach new customers beyond their taprooms through increased liquor stores sales online. In 2023, we saw that local impact in action, as merchants on DoorDash Marketplace sold over 20,000 units of craft beer.
"We opened our doors back in the 1950s right as craft beer was coming onto the scene in California, and we haven’t looked back since. As a family-owned business, we take great pride in supporting other local businesses in our community and helping them thrive. We do upwards of 30% of our sales through third-party delivery, and we know that many customers seek out places to find their favorite craft brews and try new varieties. From West Coast IPAs and stouts and sours, we want to be able to offer a wide selection that showcase the best craft breweries in California, which we know will help grow our business and theirs."
— Refaee Alrefaee, owner of Friends Liquor in San Francisco, CA
Giving Dashers More Opportunities to Earn
When merchants on our platform succeed, that means Dashers do too. We always want to give Dashers more ways to earn, and last year, nearly 1 million Dashers completed an alcohol delivery for the first time. Completing these deliveries can unlock new ways to maximize their earnings and in 2023, Dashers earned, on average, nearly 20% more on deliveries with alcohol compared with deliveries without
With more Dashers than ever making responsible deliveries of alcohol, we want to make sure safety remains top of mind. We rolled out improvements to our alcohol safety compliance module for Dashers to provide them with even more detailed guidelines on how to deliver alcohol, such as proper ID scanning protocols and how to spot a fraudulent ID.
Prioritizing Safety for Our Communities
As alcohol delivery continues to grow, we want to be able to do it the right way: safely and responsibly. We know that consumers, policymakers, and the communities we serve have high expectations of us, looking for us to make sure that there are strong guardrails in place for alcohol delivery.
We’re deeply committed to ensuring a safe alcohol delivery experience at every step of the process, and made great strides in 2023. For instance, we proactively blocked deliveries to certain high-risk areas, such as college campuses. We also improved our alcohol return flow process to make it easier for Dashers to return the alcohol to the store if a delivery cannot be completed for any reason, such as if the consumer is underage or not home. Importantly, Dashers are paid the whole trip, meaning a Dasher never has to choose between completing a delivery and complying with the law.
Thanks to these innovations, we’re proud that 95% of DoorDash consumers who have previously ordered alcohol through DoorDash felt that getting alcohol delivered through an app is as safe as buying alcohol elsewhere. **
While we’re hopeful about the bright future for responsible alcohol delivery to grow and expand nationally, we’re proud of the impact it is already having at the local level. As more policymakers explore ways to bring alcohol delivery to their communities, we stand ready to work with them to help consumers, merchants, and Dashers enjoy these benefits.
* Total merchants on Marketplace in December 2022 compared with December 2023.
** March 2023 National consumer survey.
