Dive Brief:
- Adding to a roster of retail partners, DoorDash has partnered with Staples to offer deliveries from nearly 1,000 U.S. stores, DoorDash announced Monday. DoorDash has a back-to-school deal hub featuring Staples, Office Depot, Walgreens and other major retailers offering school supplies deliveries.
- Shoppers can order school supplies or work-related items and receive them same-day in under an hour, on average. DoorDash users can browse Staples’ school supplies on its marketplace.
- Staples is offering a $20 discount on orders valued at $40 or more until Sunday. DashPass subscribers may be eligible for free deliveries on their purchases if their orders meet the minimum order value, per the announcement.
Dive Insight:
Besides Staples’ collaboration with DoorDash, the retailer recently added more services for its customers.
In December, the company piloted an Amazon returns partnership where select Staples stores were tested as in-person drop off locations for Amazon product returns. The companies have since expanded the offering to all Staples stores so that eligible unpackaged, unlabeled Amazon items can be dropped off at full-service shipping areas inside Staples stores.
This summer Staples also introduced a tiered tech support program designed for student, small business and individual customers.
Meanwhile, Staples has joined a long list of retail and brand partners seeking to offer another delivery option to its customers. Expanding its partnerships beyond restaurants, DoorDash has enlisted non-food retail partners like Victoria’s Secret, Party City, Lush Cosmetics, Sephora and At Home.
Back-to-school spending is expected to hit record highs, according to the National Retail Federation. Spending for K-12 is expected to reach $41.5 billion, up from $36.9 billion last year, while spending for college students is expected to reach $94 billion, up $20 billion from a year ago.
