SAN FRANCISCO—DoorDash is rolling out benefits for its merchants, including discounted products and services based on evolving needs within the industry. The food delivery app has partnered with six companies that are “working to address key issues within the industry.” Benefits include health-care access, mental health and continued career development.
"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 chief operating officer 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 is offering merchants access to Sesame, a cash-pay health-care marketplace. Plans start at $5 a month, and offerings include in-person and virtual primary care, mental health services and specialty care. DoorDash merchants also have access to Breathwrk, a personal health app, as well as 40% or more off EdApp by SafetyCulture, a training platform that assists businesses with their training programs. Merchants also have 15% off StateFoodSafety, an online food safety education company.
DoorDash is also offering merchants one month free of LANDED, an end-to-end recruiting platform that automates candidate engagement, screening, and interview scheduling. Merchants also receive four months free of 7shifts, a team management platform.
DoorDash also released a new research report on how benefits impact recruitment and retention in the restaurant industry. According to the report, 66% of restaurant employees surveyed are more likely to apply to a restaurant job that offers health benefits than one that does not.
The company facilitated over $25 billion in sales for its marketplace merchants last year, and these sales supported nearly $38.4 billion in U.S. GDP, according to the company’s 2021 economic report. Fifty-eight percent of merchants agree that DoorDash helps expand their reach to new customers, and 71% recommend DoorDash for increasing revenues.
“Merchants say they value the DoorDash platform because it enables them to grow their business and access new customers they may not otherwise have been able to reach,” said DoorDash in the report.
The U.S. convenience store industry employs an estimated 2.38 million people, and convenience store jobs score high marks, according to former employees and customers. Nearly three in four consumers (72%) say they have a favorable opinion of convenience store jobs, while 79% of current and former c-store workers say their job experience was valuable, and 66% said they would recommend that type of work to others, particularly as a first job.
Revisit “Understanding Your Local Labor Landscape” in the December 2021 issue of NACS Magazine for tips on building an effective employee value proposition and how to gain an edge when competing for candidates.
Also, here’s why your employees are “quiet quitting.”