Prepare to never leave your house again — you can now get groceries delivered straight to your door thanks to a new app called Instacart.
Residents in most of San Luis Obispo County will be able to order groceries starting Thursday from Smart & Final, CVS, Costco, Ralph’s and Petco. Instacart currently operates in more than 130 markets throughout the U.S.
When it launches in SLO County, it will offer deliveries in San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Arroyo Grande, Morro Bay, Templeton, Avila Beach, Pismo Beach, Oceano, Grover Beach, Atascadero, Los Osos, Huasna and Edna Valley. The company plans to hire more than 100 people locally to support the new service.
Operations Manager Justin Reevers said Instacart, based in San Francisco, is expanding its operations along the West Coast — it most recently launched in Fresno — and intends to cover the entire country by the end of the year.
An Instacart representative declined to disclose any financial information about the company’s expansion.
Shopping with the service is similar to other forms of online shopping, Reevers said.
Using the app or website, users select what store they want to shop from and can then select items to add to their cart. Once an order is placed, a “personal shopper” will go through the store gathering your groceries and deliver them to your door.
You can have them delivered in as little as an hour or schedule delivery for another day, Reevers said.
The service does come with a $5.99 delivery charge, though members can sign up to get free delivery on orders of $35 or more for $14.99 a month or $149 per year. The company is also offering a temporary special for new customers in SLO County: Use the code “HELLOSLO,” and you’ll get $20 off your purchase of $35 or more, plus free delivery.
Though the app currently only offers deliveries from a handful of stores, Reevers said the company is “always looking” for new retailers to work with and is taking suggestions from users as to what stores they should add next.
The app is available on both Apple and Android devices, as well as in traditional desktop browsers.
Kaytlyn Leslie: 805-781-7928, @kaytyleslie
Submit news and notes items for Biz Buzz. Email: bizbuzz@thetribunenews.com; on Twitter @SLOBizBuzz; phone: 805-781-7902; fax: 805-781-7905; mail: Biz Buzz, The Tribune, P.O. Box 112, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406-0112.
Tell us your best business advice
What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received? And how has it helped make you more successful in your business/professional life? Tell us in 100 words or fewer, and send it to bizbuzz@thetribunenews.com. We will publish them in future Biz Buzz columns.
This story was originally published September 28, 2017 10:18 AM.