Instacart shoppers can now get an extra dose of feeling -- and doing -- good when ordering groceries. The delivery service, based in San Francisco, has partnered with its first nonprofit store -- Good Grocer, on East Lake Street in Minneapolis.
The local business, which opened last year, has an unusual model in which customers can sign up to be volunteers and work at the store for two-and-a-half hours a month in exchange for a 25 percent discount. The idea is to give low-income residents an affordable way to access more fresh and healthy foods.
"We're thrilled to offer home delivery, making it even easier for socially-minded customers to help fight hunger," Kurt Vickman, founder of Good Grocer, said in a statement. "The premise is simple but the impact is huge: Every Instacart purchase helps reduce the price of healthy food for a person in need. By choosing Good Grocer, Instacart shoppers do good and get access to the same national and local brands at our everyday low prices."
Delivery will be available in a select area around the store.
Instacart charges $5.99 for a two-hour delivery or $7.99 for a one-hour delivery on orders of over $35. It also has an annual membership option.
Instacart also partners with other local businesses such as the Wedge Co-op, United Foods, and Lakewinds Co-op. It recently started delivering alcohol around the Twin Cities through Total Wine & More and Liquor Boy. It also delivers from Target, Cub Foods, Whole Foods, Costco, and Petco.
