EXCLUSIVE: What Does the Instacart Shopper Community Value?
Instacart is pulling back the curtain on who its shoppers are, why they choose to work for the service and how they feel toward it. The grocery tech company gave Progressive Grocer an exclusive first look at its new shopper insights report, developed in partnership with EMC Research, which highlights unique findings that have helped Instacart improve on and deliver the best possible shopping experience for its approximately 600,000 shoppers.
According to the findings, Instacart shoppers come from a wide variety of backgrounds, with more than 70% identifying as women, 50% being parents or caregivers, and 60% below the age of 34. Additionally, two out of three shoppers have some college education or higher, and 11% are current college students.
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Flexibility emerged as one of the main reasons shoppers choose to earn income through Instacart, pointing to the freedom and independence the flexible scheduling gives them. About 60% of shoppers said their motivation for shopping is their earnings potential, with the majority of shoppers opting to devote less than 10 hours per week to shopping for Instacart.
Instacart also found that its shoppers overwhelmingly value how their work makes a difference in their communities, with 95% of shoppers saying the company helps provide access to food for the elderly, those with disabilities and others. More than 80% said working with Instacart makes them feel like they’re giving back to the community.
Nearly 90% of Instacart's shoppers have a favorable view of the company, and more than 80% recommend shopping on the platform to others. Another 80% said Instacart makes them feel valued, cares about them, offers well-paying opportunities and looks to protect their flexibility.
In May, Instacart updated its platform in an effort to strengthen the relationship between its shoppers and customers. Previously, customers were given limited information about the person shopping for them, as well as their progress in the shopping journey. According to the company, introducing additional shopper details will help customers further get to know their shopper and feel confident that they will shop and deliver their order with care.
San Francisco-based Instacart partners with more than 1,200 national, regional and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 80,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace.
