Costco asks Instacart shoppers to wait for orders offsite
July 10, 2023
Some Costco stores have started asking Instacart shoppers to wait for orders offsite, according to interviews with shoppers and a review of Reddit posts and discussions on the policy.
Instacart does not require shoppers to wait in a store’s parking lot to be eligible for an order, but it does tell its contractors that they have better odds of scoring an order or a batch of orders if they are close to a store.
Many Instacart shoppers used to be able to claim orders even when they were at home or miles away from the store. But competition for orders has increased, and as a result, many drivers pull into store parking lots and watch the app in hopes of scoring better orders.
Costco has not yet commented on the policy, and it is unclear how the company is monitoring its parking lots or enforcing the requirement.
Unlike other big-box stores such as Walmart and Target, Costco has invested comparatively little in simplifying the fulfillment of e-commerce orders. Costco only began experimenting with curbside pickup at a few stores in early 2021.
Recent News
American Airlines Expands Service to Caribbean and Latin America
As the travel industry experiences a post-pandemic resurgence, American Airlines is capitalizing on the growing demand for vacation destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Indiana Judge Rules Tacos and Burritos Are Sandwiches
An Indiana judge has made a significant decision in his court that could change the food world’s description of their favorite Mexican-style foods.
Elon Musk Confirms Twitter Is Now X.com
The bird is gone and officially replaced with X.
Texas Braces for Record-Breaking Power Demand
Texas is bracing for a record-breaking power demand next week as a spring heat wave drives residents and businesses to ramp up air conditioning usage.