Dive Brief:

• Sam's Club on Friday announced its partnership with DoorDash to provide same-day delivery for medications across the U.S. 

• Sam's Club Members must confirm their prescription deliveries with the retailer's pharmacists. Customers can have their first two medications delivered for free until Jan. 31, 2022, the company said.

• The retailer aims to add prescription delivery options to its app by the first half of 2021, per the company statement.

Dive Insight:

Sam's Club chose DoorDash to partner with in part due to its broad geographic reach in the U.S. With delivery covering more than 500 Sam's Club locations in 41 states, the collaboration is DoorDash's first pharmaceutical partnership of its kind at scale, according to the companies. 

As the coronavirus pandemic continues with no discernible end in sight, retailers have increasingly enlisted the help of platforms like DoorDash and Instacart to deliver purchases to consumers' doorsteps. DoorDash has added retailers like PetSmart and Walgreens to its roster, while 7-Eleven tapped DoorDash, Favor Delivery and Postmates to deliver convenience items to customers. 

Sam's Club is also the most recent retailer to specifically tap a delivery partner to transport essentials to consumers. Rite Aid has made healthcare and grocery items available via delivery while Costco also recently launched a prescription-delivery service. 

Besides implementing same-day delivery services, Sam's Club introduced curbside pickup at its locations across the country in June. Other grocery and wholesale retailers, including Whole Foods and BJ’s Wholesale, have introduced pickup options during the pandemic, but the option could be here to stay after the coronavirus crisis ends. The service is also likely to remain at other retailers.