Online grocery delivery platform Instacart is feeling the strain of COVID-19 lockdowns across North America. As customer demand increases, the firm continues to grow its active shopper community while introducing more than a dozen new product and support features—including a pair of tools designed to speed up service and unlock more delivery windows.
The first, dubbed “Fast & Flexible,” better matches customer orders with real-time shopper availability to deliver more orders more quickly to more people. Users no longer have to check back for updated delivery windows from their favorite store. “Instead, they can set it and forget it,” an Instacart announcement said. Choose the Fast & Flexible option to see an estimated delivery range (e.g. Monday through Wednesday), then receive a notification when your goods are scheduled to arrive.
Instacart also extended its “Order Ahead” function so customers can now place an order up to two weeks in advance, rather than the previous seven days. “This feature better serves customers, who are now more than ever planning ahead to restock their pantry staples and purchase recurring essentials,” the company blog said. The tool is already available in high-demand locations, and will roll out across North America over the coming weeks.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Instacart added a handful of other improvements for customers (“Leave At My Door”/contactless delivery, automatic cancellation of out-of-stock orders, “Customer Default Tip”) and shoppers (in-app incident reporting/customer order issue reviews, ratings forgiveness, easier batch cancellation, and mobile checkout).
“These are extraordinary times,” the blog post said. “And we believe we have a responsibility to serve as a lifeline for millions of people who are depending on us to get the groceries they need.”
