Instacart delivery
Is it expensive? consider, your labor (if you were to pay yourself minimum wage of —-), your time, cost per mile of vehicle operation.
from receipt
7
Items Found
4
Adjustments
Adjustments (Shaw’s) 4
Refunds
Open Nature Bone-In Lamb Loin Chops (per unit)
Refunded 1.0 lb
$0.00
Replacements
Some of your items weren’t available, so your shopper picked items based on replacements you approved and what was available.
Brussel Sprouts (16 oz bag)
1 x $3.49
$3.49
Brussels Sprouts (per unit)
1.0 lb x $3.49
$3.49
Weight Adjustments
Broccoli Crown (~ 0.81 lb)
$2.09
Adjustment: 0.805 lb -> 1.0 lb
1.0 lb x $2.09
$1.68
$2.09
S Farms Whole Chicken (per unit)
$1.89
Adjustment: 2.75 lb -> 4.465 lb
4.465 lb x $1.89
$5.20
$8.44
Items found (Shaw’s) 7
Produce
Iceberg Lettuce (each)
1 x $2.29
$2.29
Pantry
Bragg Organic Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (16 oz)
1 x $4.59
$4.59
Beverages
Florida’s Natural Orange Juice, Most Pulp (52 oz)
1 x $4.09
$4.59
$4.09
Deli
Signature Farms Trimmed Celery Stalks (16 oz bag)
1 x $3.49
$3.49
Produce
Yellow Onion Bag (3 lb bag)
1 x $4.59
$4.59
Meat & Seafood
Choice Beef Top Round Roast (per unit)
2.51 lb x $5.79
$20.31
$14.53
Snacks
Quaker Rice Cakes Buttered Popcorn (4.47 oz)
1 x $3.49
$3.49
Order Totals
Items Subtotal $51.09
Tip xx.xx
Service Fee $3.58
Total $64.89
Free Delivery!
You saved $6.48
The free delivery was a promotion, yes there is usually a mark up in prices from the actual store prices. Some items that are on sale may actually be lower than store prices.
If you are an extremely picky shopper you may not like having grocery delivery. There are options to select alternatives if an item is out of stock /not available. You can modify your list till the shopper starts. Your shopper can communicate by texting to ask for an approval of a change also. You rely on an experienced shopper to make the best choices. The system is not perfect in every way as with shopping on line or even going to the market and finding out there all out of a certain item. Real time quantities would require a system that requires shoppers to scan their purchases as they pick them like in an fully automated store (Amazon) and relay that info in real time to have that item replenished if the supply chain can support it, or have a picker in the store pick and store your order before the shopper arrives. In our area, Instacart has expanded to a decent variety of stores not only groceries. Prepackaging of items also is easier to select than a by weight items.
In my opinion, one tends to organize shopping more carefully as to the frequency of going to the store multiple times for a few items , This would also tie in to meal planning. Instacart does offer subscription services that lower delivery cost but it not required. Instacart is also available through a web connected computer (desktop or other device that can access webpages) so a smartphone device is not required. I’ve used both platforms and sometimes the messaging can have a bit of latency.
Grocery delivery is not new, in past times some specialty neighborhood grocers would offer phone in ordering and a grocery delivering to preferred customers. i don’t know though how the price was negotiated back then.
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