Why There’s Sometimes No DoorDash Orders for Hours

Wondering why you’re not getting DoorDash orders? 

DoorDash business is expected to decrease a little this year.

Some DoorDash drivers are noticing a drop in sales. Some DoorDash customers are noticing a drop in drivers. It’s not a big difference. Just a slight one.

There’s no secret that with vaccines rolling out, life is starting to return to normal.  As our lives change, some of the conveniences we’re used to also change. This includes our beloved DoorDash.

Some are wondering if their favorite restaurants will still be available on DoorDash in the coming months. Others are wondering if becoming a DoorDash driver is even worth it.

Let’s take a look at DoorDash and how it’s doing in 2021. We’ll decide if you should continue using the DoorDash app as a driver or as a customer. 

The rise of DoorDash during the pandemic

DoorDash was the top food-delivery company during the pandemic. It sapped business from Uber Eats and other similar services. Ultimately, it was the highest performing food delivery service, and held 45% of the market.

Info from: Google Trends

There’s no secret that DoorDash made a killing in 2020. DoorDash had success for two reasons: an increase in demand, and an increase in supply that matched shoppers’ needs.

With health concerns, many people preferred to stay home. Ordering food decreased their exposure to others, while still allowing them to enjoy their favorite meals. Customer demand increased sales.

Fortunately, consumers that turned to DoorDash for the first time, found a wide variety of options. In the past, only a handful of restaurants were on the DoorDash app. But with the pandemic, many restaurants turned to delivery. They saw delivery as their main source of income during 2020. This increase in product options only helped increase customer demand.

In 2020 over 5 million Americans either lost work or had decreased hours. To recoup some of that pay, many turned to side gigs. DoorDash was one of the more popular gigs. In 2020, there were over a million Dashers. The increase in the DoorDash workforce allowed supply to match the higher demand.

What’s happened since then?  

With the release of vaccines, life is starting to return to an old sense of normal. Consumers feel safer going out again. Restaurants are seeing customers return in person. There are more job opportunities.

Along with pandemic-based changes, there’s also been legislative changes.

In California it was decided that food-delivery companies are required to give workers additional benefits. This costs DoorDash more, however it ensures that dedicated drivers are getting the benefits they need to work longer hours.

There have also been regulations put on DoorDash’s commissions. In 2020 there was a rule put in place DoorDash can only make so much money from each delivery. The remaining amount has to go back to the restaurants. This bill has helped aid restaurants that were heavily struggling during the pandemic.

Like any company, DoorDash wanted to recoup the money from lost commissions. This decrease in commissions has led to an increase in customer fees. 

Will DoorDash still be used to order food?

2020 showed us that there’s no such thing as perfect vision into the future. We can’t always predict everything. However, experts are expecting to see some trends continue. Fortunately, we don’t see DoorDash leaving any time soon.

People that used DoorDash before the pandemic, will continue to use DoorDash now. In addition, customers that had their first DoorDash interaction in 2020, will likely continue using the app.

At this time, experts predict a slight drop in DoorDash sales. Consumers got used to a certain level of convince. Many customers will continue to use the app. In many ways, even more customers will use the app than pre-pandemic.

Will there still be a wide selection of restaurants on DoorDash?

For the most part, what can be said about consumers can be said about businesses.

As things reopen, some restaurants may leave the app. It’s hard to blame them. DoorDash takes a 10-25% commission from every purchase on the app. In the food industry, that’s a lot. For restaurants that see more success in person, the DoorDash costs just might not be worth it.

As more restaurants leave, more customers might feel that DoorDash doesn’t have the selection it did during the height of the pandemic. However, the restaurants on the app pre-pandemic are likely to stay. Plus, there are thousands of restaurants that found success on the app during the pandemic. They’re likely to stay.

There might be a slight decrease of restaurants listed on the app. Overall, there’s likely to be more restaurants on the app than pre-pandemic.

Will DoorDashing still be worth it?

Ultimately, as the demand fades a little, there will be less opportunities for drivers. With the recent California regulations for DoorDash, it can be expected that the drivers that plan to stay plan to work longer hours to acquire benefits.

Some drivers will leave the app. The balance of orders to drivers will balance back out again. Similar to consumers and restaurants, the number of drivers will likely be higher than during pre-pandemic levels.

Still not sure? Use our decision tree below. 

Ultimately, as the demand fades a little, there will be less opportunities for drivers. With the recent California regulations for DoorDash, it can be expected that the drivers that plan to stay plan to work longer hours to acquire benefits.

Some drivers will leave the app. The balance of orders to drivers will balance back out again. Similar to consumers and restaurants, the number of drivers will likely be higher than during pre-pandemic levels.

You have options.

Ultimately, whether you plan to use DoorDash as a driver or as a hungry customer, you’re sure to find great options.

If you do decide that DoorDash isn’t for you, that’s okay. There are plenty of other online side gigs out there. Plus, if you’re in a jam and just need fast cash, you don’t have to rely on a side gig. You can apply for an instant loan with our online application.

Worry not, DoorDash isn’t expected to go anywhere soon. We’re just in a short period of fewer orders and fewer drivers. It is expected to even itself out in the next few months.

If you want to explore other loan options from NetPay Advance, try our payday loans, installment loans or our line-of-credit loans.