Detailed narrative
Global Expansion & Deliveroo Integration
DoorDash is seeing strong performance in Europe, with Deliveroo growing faster than expected at the same profit contribution and gaining market share. Wolt is also performing well, contributing to the international business growing faster than its U.S. operations. The U.S. business itself recorded two of its fastest-growing quarters in 2025 in the last four years.
This robust international growth is further supported by improving unit economics across all regions.
Strategic Investments & Tech Stack Modernization
DoorDash is making significant investments in its global tech stack, autonomous delivery initiatives, and merchant services. The global tech stack modernization aims to consolidate three existing platforms into one, which is expected to improve feature development velocity and overall operational efficiency.
While the majority of this investment will occur in 2026, some redundancy costs from running parallel systems may extend into 2027. These strategic investments are designed to maximize long-term free cash flow and solidify DoorDash's position as the "operating system for local commerce."
New Verticals (Grocery & Retail) Growth
The new verticals business, encompassing grocery and retail, demonstrated strong growth in Q4 and throughout FY25, establishing itself as the fastest-growing third-party platform in the U.S. for these categories. Currently, 30% of U.S. Monthly Active Users (MAUs) order from non-restaurant categories, with a long-term goal to increase this to 100%.
This segment is projected to achieve unit economic positive status in the second half of 2026, driven by enhanced selection, improved logistics efficiency, and increasing basket sizes.
Dasher Experience & Evolving Commerce
DoorDash is investing in its Dasher network to enhance their experience, particularly for longer-distance and more complex grocery and retail orders that may involve in-store shopping. This includes adjusting pay models and refining app features to reflect the increased complexity of these tasks.
The company is also developing physical infrastructure, such as DashMart Fulfillment Services, to enable same-hour and same-day delivery for major retailers like Kroger and CVS, helping them compete effectively against larger e-commerce players.
Autonomous Delivery Platform Development
DoorDash is actively developing an autonomous delivery platform, which it views as a critical component for future logistics. The strategy involves orchestrating a diverse fleet of vehicles, including both internally developed (like DoorDash Dot) and partner-built solutions, for various delivery use cases.
The focus for 2026 is to identify and implement pragmatic applications, with live autonomous vehicle deliveries already underway in some markets, including those serving suburban areas.
DashPass & Customer Engagement
DashPass remains a critical driver of consumer relationships, achieving record subscriber additions in both Q4 and FY25. The program is expanding its benefits to include non-restaurant categories and in-store dining options, aiming to significantly increase customer frequency and share of wallet. Despite current high engagement, the company sees substantial runway for growth, targeting a much larger proportion of total eating and shopping occasions.
Advertising Business Expansion
DoorDash's advertising business experienced rapid growth in 2025, with its acquisition, Symbiosis, successfully doubling its advertiser base and tripling their spend. The company is continuously evolving its ad products, including "Smart Campaigns" for restaurants, which helps them execute ROI-positive ad campaigns. While the primary focus has historically been on restaurants, there is significant untapped opportunity for advertising in the grocery and retail sectors.