DoorDash (NYSE: DASH) the largest on-demand logistics platform for door-to-door delivery in the U.S., announced today its official launch in Japan, beginning with Sendai. This marks the company’s first market expansion in Asia and third country outside the U.S., including Australia and Canada.
As DoorDash continues to invest in international growth in its commitment to empower local economies, Japan, one of the most restaurant-dense countries in the world, offers a unique market opportunity for the company to support local businesses with tools and services to reach new customers online.
“We are thrilled to bring DoorDash to Japan. Our strategy has always been to empower local economies, especially in the suburban markets that are historically underserved yet the appetite for connectivity between merchants and customers is high,” said DoorDash CEO and Co-founder Tony Xu. “We look forward to helping power the Sendai economy by helping merchants to grow, connecting consumers to those merchants, and creating jobs and flexible earnings opportunities for Dashers.”
“Kizuna means ‘bonding’ in Japanese, and we’ve embraced the Kizuna Economy as our motto to achieve our mission in Japan,” said DoorDash Japan Country Manager Ryoma Yamamoto. “The enthusiasm for DoorDash has been overwhelming, with Dashers and merchants signing up for our launch. We are looking forward to supporting the growing Sendai economy.”
Using the DoorDash app, consumers in Sendai can order from hundreds of local restaurants as well as national favorites, including osteria humming bird, Bistro Bonten, Ducca Sendai, Steak Miya, Gyu-Kaku, Kappa Sushi, Yoshinoya, KFC, Pizza Hut, Gusto, Musashi, and Marugame Seimen.
“We are thrilled to join the DoorDash community as one of the first merchants in Japan. Our business is based in Sendai, and we have enjoyed working with the DoorDash team who truly got to know our business and set us up for success with its services like Storefront, delivery and pick-up,” said Mutsuhiko Nagasawa, CEO of CARINA Food Service, which operates DUCCA Sendai. “We will continue to strive to bring delicious meals to as many people as possible with DoorDash.”
In addition to the marketplace app, DoorDash is also offering Sendai merchants access to its Storefront product, an affordable online ordering system that allows customers to place takeout and delivery orders directly with the restaurant. Merchants who are looking for ways to reach their existing customer bases can add Storefront to their websites to implement online ordering seamlessly.
For the Japan launch, Storefront will be commission-free through the end of the year, with the only cost to the merchants being payment processing fees. Launched in the US in 2020, Storefront enables any merchant to easily start accepting online orders regardless of the size of the store or whether the store has a website, making it possible to establish a new sales channel. Digitalization of order history management not only enables the execution of appropriate marketing activities based on insights on website visitors, but also enables customization by store brand, resulting in enhancement of store facilities without risk to existing branding.
Both Storefront and the DoorDash app power delivery and takeout. Customers can either place an order and Dashers deliver to the specified location or they can order products in advance and pick them up when ready.
A vital component of DoorDash’s mission to empower local economies and create earnings opportunities for Dashers is a commitment to the safety of both Dashers and the surrounding public. As DoorDash launches and grows its operations in Japan, it is dedicated to implementing best safety practices. As a first step, DoorDash will make subsidized safety gear available to Dashers via its online store, provide Dashers with occupational hazard insurance for covered incidents, and work with the Miyagi Prefectural Police Department to hold safety trainings for Dashers.
