DoorDash has significantly expanded its grocery offering in Canada through a major partnership with Empire Company Limited, bringing more than 1,000 stores onto its platform across all 10 provinces.
The agreement marks one of the largest grocery expansions for DoorDash in Canada to date and reflects accelerating demand for on-demand delivery of everyday essentials. With the addition of Empire’s banners, the platform now features a broad mix of national and regional grocery options, including Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, FreshCo, Farm Boy, and Longo’s.
The partnership integrates multiple grocery and convenience banners into the DoorDash marketplace, significantly increasing both product assortment and geographic reach. Consumers can now access an average of nearly 10,000 items per store, including fresh produce, pantry staples, household goods, and pharmacy items.
Orders are fulfilled on demand, with delivery times averaging under 60 minutes in Canada’s largest urban markets. The expanded offering is designed to support both full grocery shops and smaller, immediate-need purchases.
Mike Goldblatt, Vice President of Enterprise Business Development and Partnerships at DoorDash, said the partnership responds to growing consumer demand for convenience.
“We’re proud to help give some time back through on-demand grocery delivery, whether it’s a full weekly shop or just for tonight’s dinner,” he said.
Empire Extends Digital Reach Through Third-Party Platform
For Empire Company Limited, the partnership represents a strategic move to expand digital access to its banners without relying solely on proprietary e-commerce infrastructure.
Mohit Grover, Senior Vice President of eCommerce at Empire, said the collaboration allows the company to better meet evolving consumer expectations.
“We’re providing customers with flexible, on-demand access to quality and value in more ways than ever before, while complementing our in-store experience,” he said.
Empire, one of Canada’s largest grocery operators, owns or operates more than 1,500 stores nationally across multiple banners, including Sobeys and Safeway.
Grocery Emerges as Key Growth Driver for DoorDash
The expansion comes as grocery continues to gain traction on the DoorDash platform. Approximately 25 percent of monthly active users in Canada engaged with grocery, convenience, alcohol, and retail categories as of late 2025, underscoring shifting consumer behaviour toward multi-category ordering.
With Empire now onboard, DoorDash partners with four of the five largest grocery companies in Canada, further positioning the platform as a significant player in the country’s evolving grocery e-commerce landscape.
Competitive Landscape Intensifies in Grocery Delivery
DoorDash’s expanded partnership with Empire comes as competition intensifies in Canada’s online grocery and last-mile delivery space, where multiple models continue to evolve.
Third-party platforms including Uber Eats and Instacart have already established grocery offerings in Canada, partnering with a range of retailers to facilitate on-demand delivery. Instacart has built a strong presence with grocery chains and independent operators, positioning itself as a dedicated grocery marketplace, while Uber Eats has expanded beyond restaurants to include convenience and retail categories.
At the same time, Canadian grocers have experimented with owned e-commerce infrastructure. Empire’s Voilà service, developed in partnership with Ocado, represents a more vertically integrated model focused on centralized fulfilment and scheduled delivery.
Strategic Shift Away from Centralized Fulfilment
The partnership also follows a broader restructuring of Empire’s e-commerce strategy, including the recent decision to wind down its Ocado-powered customer fulfilment centre in the Calgary area, along with related Alberta operations.
The facilities did not meet financial expectations, reflecting a slower-than-anticipated pace of online grocery adoption in Western Canada. As a result, Empire is increasingly shifting toward third-party delivery partnerships to serve customers in those markets.
This reflects a broader industry shift away from capital-intensive, centralized fulfilment infrastructure toward more flexible, store-based and platform-driven distribution models.
Positioning for the Future of On-Demand Retail
The partnership highlights a broader shift in Canadian retail, where third-party platforms are increasingly playing a central role in distribution. Rather than building standalone logistics networks, retailers are leveraging established marketplaces to extend reach, improve speed, and meet consumer expectations for convenience.
As competition intensifies in grocery e-commerce, the collaboration between DoorDash and Empire signals a continued blurring of lines between food delivery, retail, and logistics platforms, with implications for how Canadians shop for everyday essentials.
