Uber Eats Expands Rural Footprint With Dollar Tree Partnership

Uber has added thousands of Dollar Tree locations to the Uber Eats platform.

A new partnership with the discount retailer, announced Thursday (Aug. 28), lets customers around the U.S. make purchases from nearly 9,000 Dollar Tree stores and have them delivered to their homes.

“Bringing Dollar Tree to the Uber Eats platform means customers can now enjoy the great value and everyday essentials they count on, plus the thrill of discovering those unexpected treasures – all with the convenience of same-day delivery,” Brent Beebe, senior vice president of retail merchandising and marketing at Dollar Tree, said in a news release.

“We’re making it easier than ever for our shoppers to access the fun, affordable finds they love, right when and where they need them.”

The release notes that the partnership is part of Uber’s ongoing retail expansion in the suburban and rural U.S. and also brings Dollar Tree’s footprint of stores to customers in new ways.

To mark the launch, Uber Eats is offering $10 discounts on orders of $30 or more with the code DOLLAR10. Users can find Dollar Tree by searching for the chain under the “grocery,” “retail” or “convenience” sections on the Uber Eats app.

The partnership is happening at a time when higher-income consumers are flocking to dollar stores, hoping to find bargains in the paycheck-to-paycheck economy.

Big box retailers like Walmart and Target have continued to be favorites among people making more than $100,000 each year. But PYMNTS Intelligence data shows that higher income households are also turning to the likes of Dollar General and Dollar Tree.

As covered here in July, the research shows that during the quarter ending in May, 24% of the transactions at Dollar Tree came from shoppers with incomes above $100,000, while a commensurate 24% at Dollar General came from higher-income consumers.

That’s under the mid-40% range of the lowest income cohorts who earn $50,000 or less, but it is still a notable slice of the population and of these merchants’ top lines.

“The shift may continue, given the fact that, as PYMNTS Intelligence has found, roughly half of consumers earning more than $100,000 annually live paycheck to paycheck, and even those making more than $200,000 each year are not immune,” PYMNTS wrote.

“Our data shows that recreation, personal care and everyday transactions account for about 28% of their budget.”