Dive Brief:

• EG America, the c-store operator with more than 1,700 stores across several U.S. banners, announced Monday that it has partnered with DoorDash to provide delivery of snacks, pizza, sandwiches and other items to shoppers from the majority of its locations.
• DoorDash delivery is currently available from more than 800 Cumberland Farms, Fastrac, Sprint, Quik Stop, Loaf ‘N Jug, Certified Oil and Minit Mart stores. The program will expand to more than 1,300 EG-owned stores by the end of October.
• The tie-up comes as competitive pressure in same-day delivery is rising, with 7-Eleven and Circle K making recent moves in the digital channel. 

Dive Insight:

EG America and its 10 c-store brands have not been very active on the e-commerce front in recent years. 

The conglomerate does offer curbside and pumpside pickup from some of its Cumberland Farms and Fastrac locations through its SmartPay app — a program that kicked off in 2020. But up until now, it hasn’t offered delivery in any significant way, either through its own operations or in partnership with a major online provider.

The competitive pressure has been ratcheting up. 7-Eleven has partnered with DoorDash since 2015 and has linked up with several other major delivery companies, including Instacart and Uber Eats. In August, the company reportedly acquired Skipcart, a white-label delivery company that could allow it to build its own delivery service.

Circle K, the c-store brand owned by Alimentation Couche-Tard, is working with on-demand delivery startup Food Rocket to improve its e-commerce horizons. Circle K also offers delivery through DoorDash and Uber Eats.

With its DoorDash partnership, EG America is linking up with a delivery provider that counts more than 25 million users as of early this year. Roughly three-quarters of EG’s U.S. store count will be available through DoorDash’s app and website.

As c-store operators beef up their prepared foods and coffee offerings, delivery offers another way to reach consumers looking for a meal or a morning jolt. EG said it will offer snacks as well as sandwiches, pizza and its Farmhouse Blend coffee on DoorDash’s app.

To promote uptake, EG and DoorDash are offering 25% off orders of $20 or more, capped at $6, through Sept. 30. The participating EG convenience stores will also be available on DashPass, DoorDash’s membership program that waives delivery fees and offers reduced service fees