Instacart Surprises 59 Shoppers With Year of Free Groceries

In recognition its own shopper community, online grocery platform Instacart has launched a new campaign, Beyond the Cart: A Year of Essential Stories, which celebrates 59 Instacart shoppers—one from every U.S. state and Canadian province where Instacart is available—for their service throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Instacart is also giving these shoppers a year of free groceries.

As part of the campaign, Instacart is also offering more than 10,000 of its most active shoppers, who have supported the most households throughout the pandemic, $200 in grocery credit, the San Francisco-based company said.

“This past year, hundreds of thousands of shoppers played an essential role in communities across North America, helping millions of people safely and seamlessly get the groceries and goods they need delivered to their home,” said Apoorva Mehta, founder and CEO of Instacart, in a statement. “From college students and retirees to busy moms and dads, Instacart shoppers make up a diverse and inspiring community of individuals who stepped up and served as household heroes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re incredibly grateful for every shopper and are inspired by their stories and the extraordinary service they provide to customers every day.”

The 59 shoppers featured in Beyond the Cart share anecdotes and personal stories that exemplify the impact COVID-19 has had across North America. From finding new earnings opportunities after losing their jobs, to saving up to buy a house, to looking for a way to give back, each shopper has turned to Instacart during a challenging year.

To help raise awareness and appreciation for essential workers like members of Instacart’s shopper community during the pandemic, the online grocery platform has partnered with celebrity and recently named co-host of “The Talk” TV show Amanda Kloots, who lost her husband, Broadway star Nick Cordero, to coronavirus complications on July 5. Kloots and Cordero have a son who was just a year old when his father was admitted to the hospital with COVID.

“I’m proud to join Instacart in paying tribute to the essential role the shopper community has played in people’s lives, including mine, over the past year,” said Kloots in a release. “As a single mom who hasn’t set foot into a grocery store in over a year, Instacart has enabled me to stay safe for my son, and I’m so grateful for the peace of mind these shoppers have given me. I applaud the service they’ve provided to countless others, from senior citizens, to people with health risks, to families who want to limit exposure and more. The Instacart shopper community has been a lifeline to millions of people, and this campaign is a moment to say, ‘thank you.’ ”

Since March 2020, Instacart has paid over $4.2 billion in earnings to shoppers, the company said. Over 300,000 shoppers joined the platform since March 2020, bringing the company’s total to more than 500,000 active shoppers on the platform today.