Aloha Everyone,
Our perishables and non-perishable items are purchased from several trusted outlets including Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, Amazon Prime and Amazon Fresh, Costco, Walmart & Target. On rare occasions, we order pizza or baked goods directly from the source. For all of these services you either pay annual membership or satisfy the minimum purchase amount to qualify for a free delivery or pay a substantial delivery fee.
In the case of grocery stores or restaurants using Instacart, there is a revenue sharing agreement. The retailer mark up their price of goods and pays a percentage to Instacart. Depending on the order, a person who works for Instacart will only do delivery or do full-service shop and deliver. Most of these deliveries I have witnessed are being done using their own vehicle with purchases crammed in the backseats or in the trunk. I read that an individual shopper who will also delivers will earn $7 - $10 from the company. Customers are expected to tip even though tips are calculated in the total cost.
Maybe the owner of Instacart is turning a profit but for shopper and delivery person, working for Instacart sounds like a challenging way to make money.
Aloha -- Cathi