Instacart is launching new money-saving features for customers that are “designed to put affordability front and center in the Instacart app and help our customers stretch their dollars further.” The features include:
- Personal Digital Flyer – transforms printed grocery circulars into a digital format that customers can browse each week to find the best deals.
- $0 Delivery Fees on Next Day Grocery Orders Over $10 – a new delivery option that waives the $7.99 delivery fee if you're okay with having the order delivered the next day (instead of same day).
- $0 Pick-Up Fees – all pickup fees are now waived on orders over $35. Instacart charged a pickup fee? Weak. Should I tip too?
- Loyalty Card Savings at More Stores – Instacart expanded loyalty with other popular retailers to ensure that customers can access the same loyalty card savings as if they were shopping in-store.
- Expanded EBT / SNAP Access – families can use their SNAP benefits at 180 retailers nationwide, spanning over 30k stores and reaching nearly 98% of SNAP households in the US.
Instacart cited a LendingTree survey in its announcement that found that 40% of consumers expect to go into debt over back-to-school shopping this year, at an average cost of $793.
The company wrote: “With extreme costs like that, it’s more important than ever to find ways to save. At Instacart, we’re always working to give people more opportunities to save on food and essential household items…”
I love how tech companies come in and increase the cost of grocery shopping for consumers in the name of convenience, and then position themselves as heros when they throw some breadcrumbs at their customers. Please sir, I want some more loyalty points.