Instacart Banks on Busy Lives and Bad Weather As It Expands Grocery Delivery Into Philly

Let’s talk for a moment about grocery shopping and how not fun, easy, or convenient it is. In the wintertime, multiply the not-fun, not-easy, and not-convenient by a factor of… let’s say, twenty, and you have perhaps the most onerous and discouraging task on your to-do list. If you work unorthodox hours or have kids in tow, the ostensibly simple act of “picking up a few things” can be downright hellish.

Just fills one with excitement, no?

Instacart, a peppy grocery delivery startup, has cottoned onto just how lousy it is to fetch things from the store. Snubbing competitors like PeaPod and AmazonFresh, it has moved in on major cities like Boston and San Francisco – places where a real demand for convenience services is fueled by the busy lives of many working professionals. Instacart recently announced that it is rolling out service in Philadelphia, during a week when persistent rain and ongoing, lousy winter weather will undoubtedly make having food delivered to one’s door a highly attractive concept. The service employs a fleet of personal shoppers who are dispatched with individual customer lists as they come in, and then paid a commission for the delivery. Instacart boasts that their shoppers have all been background checked and tout above-average produce selection skills.

Right now delivery is only available from Whole Foods, but Instacart says they are planning on adding more local stores in the very near future. A quick scan of Instacart’s easy-peasy shopping page shows prices that are reasonable (for “Whole Paycheck,” anyway) and ample delivery slots available. The pricing won’t kill you, either. Delivery charges are tiered based on how much you order and how fast you want it. Customers can choose one-hour, two-hour, or scheduled (up ‘til 11pm) delivery. An annual subscription costs 99 bucks and is good for free delivery on orders over $35 for a year. A comprehensive list of FAQ’s is available on their website.

A few clicks later, you’ve ordered everything you need without even leaving your chair.

I personally know a bunch of crazy-busy 9-to-5’ers, tired parents, and other general loathers of grocery shopping who would be over the moon to have a similar service in their areas. It’s not like anyone enjoys tedious errands or slogging around in bad weather – and we have snow or rain every three days, on average, here in Philly – so maybe this is really going to catch fire.