Dash Forward 2025: Delivering The Future of Local Commerce

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09/30/2025 - 09:03 AM

From Going Out to Kroger grocery expansion and autonomous innovation, DoorDash unveils new ways to shop, save, explore, and earn at scale

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- At DoorDash, our mission has always been to grow and empower local economies. DoorDash and Wolt have facilitated over 10 billion consumer orders, driven over $230 billion in sales for merchants, and helped Dashers earn over $80 billion through the platform.*

Dash Forward 2025: Delivering The Future of Local Commerce

At our Dash Forward 2025 event, we unveiled new innovations built to solve real problems that help merchants grow their businesses and better connect with customers, while making shopping, eating, and earning even more rewarding for everyone. From AI-powered recommendations to autonomous robots, we’re building the future of local commerce – one that creates more opportunity for local merchants, consumers and Dashers alike.

“Our journey began with restaurant delivery, and over the past several years we have evolved into a global, multi-product, multi-line of business company that is shaping the future of local commerce,” said Tony Xu, Co-founder and CEO of DoorDash. “At DoorDash, every product we build starts with the same question: what real problem are we solving for merchants, consumers, or Dashers. The innovations we’re announcing today, from Going Out, which brings in-store rewards and reservations into the app, to autonomous delivery and new ways for Dashers to earn, are designed to expand opportunity and make local commerce stronger and more rewarding for everyone.”

Going Out: Discover and Book the Best of Your City

We’re introducing Going Out, a new feature that brings reservations, in-store rewards, and exclusive offers for DashPass members together in one place. Going Out makes dining out more rewarding for customers, while unlocking new opportunities for restaurants to attract diners, fill tables, and build lasting guest relationships.

For the first time, diners will be able to book a reservation directly in the DoorDash app with no cover fees, thanks to our integration with SevenRooms. Customers earn credits toward future DoorDash orders with every booking, and DashPass members enjoy special perks like exclusive tables and extra rewards.

Restaurants can use Going Out to promote events, manage tables, and personalize hospitality with enriched guest profiles. For partners already on SevenRooms, tools like event management and Voice AI help streamline operations and build stronger relationships. Read more here.

DoorDash Dot and the Future of Autonomous Delivery

We’re unveiling Dot, the first commercial autonomous delivery robot to travel seamlessly across bike lanes, roads, and sidewalks — purpose-built for local commerce. At one-tenth the size of a car, Dot travels at up to 20 mph, is custom-designed for quick deliveries, and engineered for safety at every turn. Developed entirely in-house by our team at DoorDash Labs, it’s compact, efficient, and electric, built for the demands of local delivery.

Dot is powered by our Autonomous Delivery Platform, an AI-enabled system designed to match every order with the best delivery method — whether that’s a Dasher, a robot, a drone, or Dot. As we continue to expand globally and make more products and merchants available for delivery on DoorDash, keeping up with merchant demand and consumer needs means having a variety of delivery methods available.

Dot is live now in the Phoenix metro area, with an early access program giving locals the first chance to experience it. Read more here.

Smarter Tools for Restaurant Success

We’re introducing the SmartScale, a compact hardware solution developed by DoorDash Labs to help restaurants improve order accuracy and streamline operations. By combining precise weighing technology with predictive modeling, SmartScale verifies that every order matches its expected contents before it leaves the kitchen – cutting missing item claims by up to 30%**. If a discrepancy is detected, staff receive real-time alerts, reducing errors, saving time, and ensuring consumers get exactly what they ordered. Panera Bread is the first national restaurant to adopt SmartScale across DoorDash, drive-thru, and first-party digital orders nationwide, marking a major step toward smarter, more reliable deliveries. Read more here.

In addition to the SmartScale, DoorDash has added a new content tool that allows restaurants to select a personalized, appetizing video that shows off their top dishes, ensuring their food looks as good as it tastes – a powerful way to turn browsing into ordering.

DashMart Fulfillment Services: A New Model Designed for Retail Growth

We’re launching DashMart Fulfillment Services, a new way for retailers to strengthen the reach of their products and gain visibility with potential new customers. The model uses DoorDash’s network of DashMart locations to handle the entire process, from inventory management, picking, packing, and delivery by Dashers. CVS and Party City are already using the service, and Kroger will soon join them, bringing its wide selection of groceries and household essentials to shoppers nationwide through DashMart Fulfillment Services. Read more here.

Expanding Grocery Access with Kroger, America’s Largest Grocer

Starting October 1, nearly 2,700 Kroger stores will launch on DoorDash, making Kroger the largest grocer on our platform. Customers will have access to Kroger’s full grocery assortment — from fresh foods to household staples, including its popular Our Brand products — delivered in as little as an hour. Loyalty discounts and everyday deals will be seamlessly integrated, giving households more ways to save while shopping their favorite Kroger banners like Mariano’s, Fred Meyer, Ralphs, and Harris Teeter.

Read more here.

More Intuitive and Personalized Ways to Explore Your Neighborhood

We’re making the app more engaging and personalized:

Creator videos help you discover restaurants and visually see what's on the menu from local foodies, rolling out now in select cities like Atlanta, Austin, Miami, and San Francisco. Want to contribute? Apply to be a DoorDash creator today.
A new partnership with Yelp makes it easy to explore trusted photos and reviews and seamlessly order on DoorDash.
AI-powered recommendations tailor suggestions to your tastes and past orders, currently live in San Francisco and Manhattan.
AI-powered smart tags make menus filterable by needs like vegetarian or high-protein.
Complement Your Cart suggests relevant add-ons to your shopping list, available nationwide today.

Read more here.

A Better Dasher Experience

Every year, millions of Dashers power our platform, and through programs like WeDash, every DoorDash employee also completes deliveries each year, bringing real-world insights back into the product. Today, we’re sharing improvements to make dashing easier, more flexible and more rewarding with:

A revamped map with more accurate pins and smarter navigation.
A redesigned homescreen making it easier to get online and track earnings.
Flash Offers giving more flexibility and choice with boosted pay promotions on select deliveries, even when Dashers are not currently online.
Pro Shopper giving new rewards recognizing high-quality service on grocery and retail orders with priority access to higher-paying offers.

Read more here.

We’re building the future of local commerce so every business can grow, every Dasher can earn on their terms, and every customer can shop their city in minutes.

*As of September 2025
**Based on DoorDash internal data from August 2024 to April 2025.