Instacart has announced two new capabilities for its shoppers, which will help them have flexible shopping schedules and optimize their time. The features are queued batches and multi-store add-on orders, and are available on the platform starting today.
John Adams, Instacart’s Vice President of Shopper and Fulfillment Product, explained that the company prioritizes the time spent by shoppers on the platform. He added:
“Our goal is to create a platform that is as flexible as shoppers need it to be. It’s our priority to help shoppers make the most of their time on the Instacart platform, which is why we’re introducing these new features that increase the amount of time that shoppers can spend earning.”
Instacart’s queued batches offer shoppers the ability to “accept another batch before completing the batch” currently being shopped. They can then begin shopping for their next batch by heading to the store once the current one is delivered. According to the company, the capability gives shoppers “more time shopping and delivering, meaning more time spent earning.”
The second feature is multi-store add-on orders. Previously, Instacart allowed shoppers to accept add-ons from stores they were currently shopping at. Now, they have the option of accepting add-on orders from nearby stores. For example, if an individual buys groceries from one store, they may get an add-on order from a nearby alcohol retailer. The shopper can then purchase the alcohol order and deliver both orders to the customer.
Instacart added that shoppers would get additional time to complete the multi-store order and be paid for their services. The company also suggests this feature subtracts drive time to and from customers’ homes before shopping for additional orders.