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The pandemic brought on by the novel coronavirus has led many people to rethink their priorities. Many of these priorities include getting out of the house to carry out basic chores—one of these chores in grocery shopping.
Most elderly and sick people are quite possibly unable to get to grocery stores altogether. On the other hand, some people do not want to risk their lives by being in close contact with the virus. This change in priorities means more downloads on grocery shopping apps. Instacart is one of the most popular online grocery outlets out there.
Instacart is essentially an online grocery delivery company based in the U.S. However, their services are available in America and Canada. It was founded by Apoorva Mehta in 2015. Initially, the company only launched in San Francisco with just 200 employees onboard. The company itself provides its services via its app and its online website.
With Instacart, you are essentially requesting one of the shoppers at Instacart to go and do your groceries for you. Currently, Instacart operates in 2400 locations in 18 American states. Moreover, recently Instacart partnered up with Walmart in the U.S. to offer same-day delivery services.
Amenities at Instacart
As mentioned earlier, the service at Instacart involves a personal shopper. The shopper picks packs and delivers the groceries within the given time frame. The customers decide the time frame, which ranges from urgent orders to be carried out within an hour or the order to be delivered within 5 days.
The payment methods available are personal debit, credit cards, Google Pay, or Apply Pay. The delivery fee is dependent on how big the order is for orders of $35 or more and $7.99 for any order under that amount. However, there is a 5% fee of a minimum of $2, regardless of the order’s cost.
Additionally, the app offers a membership service known as Instacart Express for a monthly fee of $9.99. With the membership, customers are waived off the delivery fee on all orders. Instacart is partnered up with most grocery stores and wine shops in the locality. Therefore, the shops and products within your vicinity will be the ones available via the app.
For example, you have a Costco in your area. The personal shopper at Instcart can smoothly go into the store for you and get all you need. Providing convenience and saving you that extra time spent grocery shopping. This is also a beneficial service if you have kids or are preoccupied with work.
How has Instacart Handled COVID-19?
Instacart isn’t a warehouse based company; the shoppers shop at the same shops as all other Americans. This means varying products within the shortages caused by the pandemic. However, the app/website does warn the customer regarding possible needs.
Accordingly, Instacart has also added contactless delivery, read as Leave at My Door Delivery on the platform. This service lets the shopper know which method you prefer and thus keeps you from possibly contracting the virus.
