DoorDash, Meta test delivery of Facebook Marketplace items – TechCrunch

DoorDash has confirmed that it has teamed up with Facebook Marketplace to make that awkward exchange of items with a stranger a bit easier. The company said DoorDash Drive, its business-to-business service that provides drivers to merchants through their own website or app, is now in the early stages of testing a service that will allow DoorDash drivers to pick up and drop off Facebook Marketplace items to customers.

DoorDash and Facebook’s parent company Meta are currently offering the test in several cities in the United States, giving many drivers another opportunity to earn money. Items that are eligible for delivery are Marketplace items that can fit in the trunk of a car and must be located up to 15 miles away. DoorDash drivers are expected to make deliveries within 48 hours or less.

The partnership between DoorDash and Meta attempts to achieve DoorDash’s mission to expand into delivering more products other than food. DoorDash has already expanded to delivering toiletries, prescriptions, household essentials, clothing, cosmetics and more. The company has partnered with Rite Aid, Bed Bath & Beyond, JCPenney and Sephora, among other retailers.

“DoorDash is always thinking about new ways to provide for the communities we serve. With access to unparalleled convenience and opportunity through a platform, we continually explore and test new innovations,” the company wrote in a statement.

This service benefits a seller who may not feel comfortable inviting a stranger into their home to retrieve an item or vice versa. It is also a helpful option for a buyer that is unable to travel, doesn’t own a vehicle that is large enough or has trouble picking things up.

It also helps DoorDash continue to compete with Uber Eats, which recently launched a nationwide delivery offering. Last month, Amazon partnered with DoorDash’s rival Grubhub to offer Prime members a free membership to Grubhub+ for one year.

This new collaboration with DoorDash would help Facebook Marketplace widen its local delivery options. Today, Facebook Marketplace only lets larger items be delivered through Dolly, an on-demand delivery company. The catch with Dolly is that it is limited to 45 or more cities across the United States. Meta allows Marketplace sellers to ship out items directly to buyers, as well.

Meta is experiencing difficulty with getting young people to use Facebook, with only 32% of teens from 13 to 17 years old using the social platform, according to a recent Pew Research Center study. The alliance with DoorDash could be its attempt to reach younger users since Marketplace is among the few Facebook features that is popular with Gen Z, a source told The Wall Street Journal.

DoorDash has also been testing a package return feature since March, allowing customers to return items to the post office, UPS or FedEx.

Earlier this month, DoorDash announced its second-quarter results, reporting year-over-year growth of 23% in the total number of orders delivered, bringing the total to a record of 426 million delivered orders.

In January, DoorDash co-founder and CEO Tony Xu joined Meta’s board of directors.