DoorDash to deliver alcohol across 20 U.S. states, Canada and Australia

(Reuters) - Food delivery firm DoorDash Inc said on Monday it would launch alcohol delivery across 20 U.S. states, Australia and Canada, facing up to rivals Uber Technologies Inc and GoPuff in the sector's key growth market.

After soaring in popularity during pandemic-driven lockdowns, food delivery platforms are looking to expand their businesses by offering delivery of beer, wine and spirits.

DoorDash said customers, who are legally permissible, can toggle to the alcohol tab of its app to order drinks from restaurants, local retailers and convenience stores in markets that permit alcohol delivery.

The move could drive a 30% surge in average order values of restaurants and grocers while boosting those of convenience stores by more than 50%, it said.

Rival Uber Technologies Inc earlier this year entered the alcohol delivery space with its $1.1 billion purchase of Drizly. Uber has also teamed up with GoPuff, which delivers items such as food, alcohol and medicines in more than 650 U.S. cities.

(Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Soni)