InstaCart employees fulfill delivery orders
Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Instacart, a third-party delivery company, said Thursday it will begin same-day deliveries for Family Dollar, owner of Dollar Tree, a discount retailer that has experienced growth during the pandemic.
The company will deliver online shopping to customers ’homes from more than 6,000 dollar store chain locations in just one hour.
“Whether it’s storing the fridge or pantry, upgrading a home office or a virtual school space, or buying basic items at home, we know that value and affordability are the foundation of people across the country,” he said. Chris Rogers, vice president of retail at Instacart, in a press release.
Leading retailers, including Bed Bath & Beyond, Dick’s Sporting Articles and Rite Aid, have used Instacart as a way to keep up with online orders during the pandemic and have used it as a faster alternative for customers. who would otherwise have to wait for a package during the holiday season fall in love.
As many other retailers saw sales fall during the pandemic, dollar stores like Dollar Tree and Dollar General have advanced with aggressive expansion plans and have had a growing customer base as people seek value during the recession. Dollar Tree’s Family Dollar sells many household commodities, such as food and paper items, that have experienced greater demand as people spend more time at home.
Sales at the same Family Dollar store increased 6.4% in the third quarter, ending October 31, 2020.
Dollar Tree CEO Mike Witynski called the new partnership with Instacart “another example of our efforts to better meet the evolving needs of our Family Dollar buyers.”
However, Instacart has been compressed as some retailers train their own employees to choose and package orders online instead of using third-party service. Walmart recently announced plans to turn some stores into local malls that use automation and store employees to place grocery orders online.
Last month, Instacart said it planned to reduce about 1,900 job losses for shoppers in the store.