Instant gratification

Anyone with Internet access can plainly see that online grocery services have become increasingly prevalent in the past couple of years. As, according to recent surveys, most still feel that it is a chore to grocery shop, it's no surprise that consumers are flocking to these services in record numbers. I never suspected that I’d join the ranks—however, my recent handful of experiences using the service Instacart have turned me into a believer. Originally, I just did it because I got a code from a friend for $10 off my first order and free delivery. What’s the harm in that, I thought, that just means I can order $10 of extra food and not pay for it (an obvious win). Instacart is usually available for delivery within an hour of your order—some days, between browsing the aisles, standing on the epically slow deli counter line and waiting to pay, I’m at Fairway for even longer than that. Not only does this service provide instant gratification, with Instacart you can schedule a delivery time in the near future as well, if that works better for you—say 7-8PM on a Sunday night, in time to prepare your lunch for Monday, or 10-11AM on a Saturday morning, so your eggs and bacon will arrive just as you’re waking up. As far as I can tell, Instacart even offers most of the prepared foods options available at Fairway, albeit without photos. It even goes so far as to indicate sale items on the app. Unlike other similar services like Fresh Direct, Instacart employees actually go to a grocery store near the user to purchase items, and each consumer has the option of stores in their area to choose from. So in this specific case, the service is not necessarily taking business away from the traditional grocers. Someone is going to the actual store, picking out items and paying for them—just not the end user. The convenience and lack of apparent downsides to these kinds of services is why many in the industry are saying that grocery retailers need to step up their customer service games, and make the whole supermarket a more appealing in-store experience (one that can’t be obtained with an iPhone app). Free samples is one thing that pulls consumers (like myself, especially when the samples are of cheese) into the brick-and-mortar location. Events, specialty products that you can’t purchase online and access to nutrition professionals in-store are other go-to options. Coupons that can’t be used for online purchases would be enough to draw me in. However, I’m not among the audience that needs convincing. I enjoy grocery shopping, browsing the aisles when I have time, checking out the prepared foods section, and most of all, thoroughly examining my fresh purchases. I enjoy looking at the dates on every milk carton and sour cream tub to ensure that I have the one that will stay freshest, longest; and yes, I’ll be the girl picking up every package of grape tomatoes to make sure there are not any moldy ones in my box, and squeezing every avocado to find my perfect match in ripeness. This brings me to the one downside that I have experienced from using Instacart. When you entrust your produce needs to a stranger who doesn’t necessarily pick them out with the same love and tenderness, you may just end up with a few mushy tomatoes.