Instacart provides shoppers more control over earnings
Instacart is unveiling two new features designed to give delivery personnel more autonomy over how and when they earn compensation.
The grocery technology company is introducing queued batches and multi-store add-on orders as options for its shoppers (the term Instacart uses to describe what are primarily independent contractors that fulfill and deliver its customers’ orders). Highlights of each new offering follow.
Queued batches
With queued batches, shoppers will have the opportunity to accept another batch of orders before completing the batch they are currently shopping. Once a shopper completes the delivery of their current batch, they will be able to immediately begin shopping their next batch.
According to Instacart, queued batches will give shoppers more time to fulfill and deliver orders, meaning they can increase their earning time.
Multi-store add-on orders
As a result of Instacart’s recent launch of multi-store add-on orders, shoppers now have the opportunity to add on separate customer orders from nearby retailers, in addition to the retailer where they are currently fulfilling an order.
For example, if a shopper were currently filling orders from a batch at a grocery store, they could be offered an add-on order from a nearby liquor retailer. They could then shop the new alcohol order before delivering both orders to the separate customers, finishing them simultaneously without needing to drive back to the liquor store a second time.
Shoppers will receive additional time to complete the entirety of a multi-store batch and be paid for their added effort. In addition to presenting more earnings opportunities to shoppers, Instacart says this feature will also increase efficiency and eliminate drive time to and from customers’ homes.
“We aim to create a platform that is as flexible as shoppers need it to be,” said John Adams, VP of shopper and fulfillment product at Instacart, in a corporate blog post. “It’s our priority to help shoppers make the most of their time on the Instacart platform, which is why we’re introducing these new features that increase the amount of time that shoppers can spend earning.”
Instacart develops new shopper support offerings
During 2022, Instacart introduced a number of new benefits and perks for shoppers. These included peak earning days, a feature providing them with information about certain days that will offer higher earnings opportunities in specific areas, so they can plan for the week ahead.
In July, the company launched Cart Star, a new rewards program for its shoppers. Every qualifying shopper in the Cart Star program will receive tailored rewards and offerings through third-party partners, as well as directly within the Instacart platform.
The Cart Star program will offer incentives via three tiers: Gold, Platinum, or Diamond Cart. Platinum and Diamond Cart shoppers will receive recognition in the Instacart app, indicating to customers when their shopper has achieved this status, along with information like the number of orders shopped and how long the shopper has been on the platform.
In May, Instacart began requiring shoppers to maintain a 4.7 star-average rating or above for prioritization in fulfilling delivery batches. Previously, Instacart prioritized shoppers with the highest rating possible. The company also said it is forgiving more ratings for reasons that may be outside of a shopper's control, including if a customer consistently rates shoppers below five stars.
Shoppers will also now see text in the Instacart shopper app notifying them when they are close enough to a store location to see available batches. Other features Instacart has added for shoppers this year include new shopper app features and several upgrades to the customer tipping process.
Instacart partners with more than 800 national, regional, and local retail brands to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 70,000 stores across more than 5,500 cities in North America.