Lowe’s Does DoorDash Now
As of today, you can add Lowe's to the bevy of outposts you can order from on DoorDash. In today's announcement, DoorDash noted the 1,700 stores nationwide, and used language that implied this was just the first of more big box retailer partnerships to come. There don't appear to be any restrictions on what you can order, and a quick glance shows a deep bench of products available on the DoorDash site, though it's unclear if it includes the entire inventory of the store. There's a promo running right now to celebrate the news-you can use the code LOWES20 at checkout on DoorDash to receive $20 off your first order of $45 or more from Lowe's on DoorDash.
This isn't the first delivery service Lowe's has opened to-they've been an Instacart option since 2022. While I expected DoorDash to assign a premium to each product, after cross-checking five random items across major categories (wood, electronics, tools, parts, and garden), the prices remained the same across the board. I don't know if that's temporary or permanent. While I imagine this is an effective way to quickly get a tape measure or bucket in a hurry, there are probably some items you won't want to DoorDash.
What to order (and not order) from Lowe's on DoorDashIt's helpful to remember that this is essentially the same service as curbside pickup. An employee is going to shop your order, and a DoorDasher will pick it up. So you should only order items that have little margin of error. A tape measure is an excellent example of an item with great likelihood of success-even if they don't have the exact one you want, a different tape measure is likely to be fine. Obviously, do not order paint. A specific tool is likely to be successful, but I wouldn't trust Lowe's to pick out a plant (or for DoorDash to deliver it). I recommend staying away from tile, flooring, wallpaper, wood, pipe, or anything else configurable. Here's why: If you have a configurable product like wood, you inevitably end up with whatever was easiest to grab, rather than the best one for your particular project.
At curbside pickup, you can refuse an order, but the return process becomes more complicated when it arrives at your front door. Even if you're just picking up 2x4s, you probably need to actually look at them and be a little choosy. If an item has multiple options, you risk getting the wrong one; stick to set items with clear SKUs that are in abundant stock.
As I tested out the shopping experience, another thing became immediately clear to me: Shopping a deep inventory like Lowe's is downright unpleasant on DoorDash. Lowe's has optimized search engines that quickly find all your 2x4 options, but DoorDash doesn't, as it's optimized for food. Even with the exact long version name of a product, I had trouble finding the matching product on the DoorDash site. For that reason alone, it's not ideal for anything more than a quick small order pickup.
Examples of Lowe's products that are ideal for delivery:Dewalt6-Tool Cordless Tool Kit (currently $499, down from $559)
Philips Hue Starter Kit with Smart Bulbs ($199.98)
EGO Cordless Battery String Trimmer and Leaf Blower Combo ($179)
There's an entire hustle philosophy to buy into if you're an Uber, DoorDash, or Grubhub driver. There's a reason your food isn't delivered in an SUV-namely, gas mileage and the ability for small cars to slip in and out of parking spots, legal or otherwise. Unless you've got a small pickup from Lowe's, it's going to be hard to find a Dasher with a car big enough for bulkier order; even one sheet of plywood requires a truck.
To that end, a note on tipping: It's one thing picking up a bag of food from a restaurant, but an entirely different thing picking up a lawnmower, a pile of wood, or several bags of mulch. Even if the prices remain static, surely a higher tip is warranted. Consider that you pay hourly for similar services from Taskrabbit anywhere between $20-50.