Back-to-school season brings a lot of stress.
Between changing daily routines, coordinating new schedules, shopping for supply lists, and figuring out how to pay for it all, the return to school can be more demanding for parents than students.
In fact, one study by Life360 found that 68% of parents feel burdened by the sheer number of back-to-school tasks they have to complete, and another 60% report being reduced to tears due to the pressures of back-to-school preparation.
This year, DoorDash is committed to helping reduce that stress, partnering with several iconic brands to make back-to-school shopping easier than ever.
DoorDash partners with new retailers
In August, DoorDash revealed it would partner with several quintessential back-to-school retailers just in time for the 2026-2027 school year.
Shoppers can now add items from Gap, Gap Factory, Kohl’s, Carter’s, and Barnes & Noble to their carts.
The delivery platform says the move is designed to “give parents and students back the time they’d otherwise spend running between stores, with school clothes, supplies, classic and new reads, and everyday kids’ essentials all delivered to their door.”
“Back-to-school is one of those seasons where there’s just no time to plan every trip. As a dad, I know how this goes. It’s the sports uniform you realize is missing the night before practice, or the notebook nobody remembers until they’re already out the door,” Mike Goldblatt, vice president of Enterprise Partnerships at DoorDash, said in a statement.
For the retailers, the partnerships offer another opportunity to expand their reach and build trust with consumers.
“We’re focused on creating seamless experiences that bring customers closer to the products they love,” said Gap Brand CEO Mark Breitbard in a press release. “Partnering with DoorDash extends the reach of Gap and Gap Factory, combining iconic style with the convenience and immediacy that our customers expect.”
Retail convenience is becoming a competitive advantage
Convenience and immediacy have become deciding factors for many consumers when considering where to make a purchase.
“The near-instantaneous gratification of online retail has evolved from amenity to necessity for many shoppers,” a report from Morgan Stanley says.
That same report found that 77% of consumers cited convenience (comfort, speed, accessibility, and availability) as a key factor when making purchasing decisions.
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“Consumers are willing to pay up to 5% more, on average, for convenience, and they will, in many cases, choose one product or service over another if it is more convenient,” said Morgan Stanley U.S. Thematic Strategist Michelle Weaver.
“We believe companies selling products or services to simplify consumers’ lives or make the purchasing process itself easier will see the most benefit from the convenience premium.”
DoorDash, which is available in 22,000 zip codes and provides fast third-party delivery for 60% of the U.S. population (as of the first quarter of 2026), is one of the leading convenience platforms.
For brands like Gap, Kohl’s, and Barnes & Noble, partnering with DoorDash offers a way to capitalize on the convenience premium. They can immediately expand their accessibility without sinking millions of dollars into building a delivery network of their own.
And the more convenient the retail option, the more likely shoppers are to choose it over competitors, particularly during a hectic season when parents are juggling dozens of competing demands.
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DoorDash’s push to become your convenience destination
DoorDash first launched back in 2013 as a restaurant delivery platform. But over the last few years, the company has rapidly expanded beyond food delivery into everyday retail.
From the outside, it appears that the platform is working to establish itself as the place consumers go when they need something quickly, whether that be dinner or an outfit for the first day of school.
Amazon may have cornered the market on one-day delivery, but its same-day and immediate delivery offerings haven’t necessarily made it the default choice for consumers who need something within the next few hours.
That leaves an opening for DoorDash to position itself as the go-to platform for those last-minute purchases.
DoorDash’s back-to-school push is therefore about more than helping parents grab those last-minute supplies and outfits.
It’s a bet that convenience (especially at particularly stressful points of the year) will prove so valuable that it can turn its platform into an everyday shopping destination.
Related: Home Depot is making a big bet on cautious consumers
