Just in time for the holidays, New Jersey has given DoorDash a big present by making it the first third-party app to be allowed to deliver alcohol in the state.
The move comes more than a year after New Jersey passed a law creating opportunity for independent contractors to use their own personal vehicles to deliver alcohol on behalf of restaurants, bars and liquor stores.
DoorDash, however, already includes alcohol delivery in 35 other states plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. A number of other apps including Minibar also offer alcohol delivery options in other states. As of June 2023 there were 38 states that allow alcohol delivery, up from 21 in January 2020, according to a U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) article.
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The announcement follows a slew of new service offerings from delivery apps this year. These include Uber's plans to launch a TaskRabbit-like pilot program in Florida and Canada that lets app users hire gig workers to complete household chores. In addition, you can now use your Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) cards at DoorDash and Instacart. Uber also plans to begin accepting FSA payments in 2024.
Alcohol delivery unsurprisingly rose in popularity during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when customers were spending way more time in their houses and many businesses were closed, as USNWR reported.
For DoorDash, however, adding another state’s business may have mixed results. Along with more deliveries, come more health concerns — binge drinking and underage drinking.
In announcing the news, DoorDash said it would take precautions to prevent the latter. These include requiring “state-of-the-art” ID verification, establishing off-limits delivery zones in high-risk areas like college campuses, and equipping drivers with guidelines on how to safely make a delivery.
The company offers an alcohol support resources page that includes information on its partnerships with Responsibility.org and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) to promote responsible drinking.
In addition, customers who do not want DoorDash to offer them alcohol delivery service can opt out by submitting a request. Taking this step will also exclude you from the company’s alcohol-related direct marketing campaigns.
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