Touchless Delivery Takes Off as Online Orders Soar

Online grocery sales are skyrocketing in the U.S., with some analysts reporting a boom of nearly 123% average growth in the order rate among top ingredients. As panic buying continues, consumers are stocking up on shelf-stable items such as pasta, the order rate of which grew a whopping 698.99% this year, according to Chicory, the New York-based tech firm that pioneered shoppable recipes.

But as grocers and delivery services strain to meet the overwhelming demand for online ordering, pickup and home delivery, there’s an added wrinkle as a growing number of shoppers want to avoid human interaction entirely in their grocery transactions.

H-E-B of San Antonio is currently offering free, next-day Curbside pickup at all its stores with the service, as well as $5 doorstep delivery for all home-delivery orders. Delivery drivers will now leave all H-E-B home-delivery orders at the customer’s doorstep, eliminating close personal interaction. As an added precaution, Curbside and home-delivery customers no longer need to touch the mobile device screen to acknowledge their order was received.

“We understand that time slots for these services are filling up fast and may be booked several days out,” H-E-B said in a release. “To meet demand, we’re working as quickly as possible to increase our capacity and build new time slots, and our partners are working around the clock on innovative options to get all customers the products they need, when and where they need them.”

Stop & Shop of Quincy, Mass., which uses Peapod to fulfill its grocery orders, has added a “contact-free” delivery option, aimed largely at those who are at larger risk of contracting the coronavirus. Delivery personnel notify customers by text or email when they arrive and will leave the bags of groceries at the doorstep or building entry without waiting for admittance to the home.

“We recognize there may be some delays with this service due to unprecedented demand, and we are continuing to work hard to meet your needs,” Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid said in a statement on the company’s website.

Hy-Vee Aisles Online customers will now receive deliveries made by third-party partners such as Shipt and DoorDash, where available, in order to help in-store employees focus on pickup orders and other needs at its stores.

The West Des Moines, Iowa-based grocer has asked its customers who are able to shop in stores to do so, in order to free up online order time slots for those who are unable to shop for themselves or have been advised by healthcare professionals to limit their public exposure.

Whole Foods Market of Austin, Texas, is working to expand capacity to service more Prime members with free, two-hour grocery delivery and door drop service from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market in more than 2,000 cities and towns.

And Fresh Thyme Farmers Market of Downers Grove, Ill., is letting customers know that its grocery delivery is fulfilled by Instacart, which recently added a new “Leave at My Door” delivery option. San Francisco-based Instacart, which recently saw the highest customer demand in company history in terms of groceries sold on its platform, said more than 25% of all orders for the week of March 9 leveraged the Leave at My Door drop-off delivery option.