Local Hy-Vee expands e-delivery services

Posted Saturday, August 25, 2018 8:55 am

BY CHUCK VANDENBERG PCC EDITOR FORT MADISON - With e-commerce becoming more a part of consumers' lives, Hy-Vee Food Store in Fort Madison and Keokuk have expanded customer options for home-delivery. According to Amy McCoy, director of communications with Hy-Vee's corporate office in Des Moines, the new services provided locally by Instacart began Friday and offer home-delivery similar to Hy-Vee's Aisles Online program. Customers interested in the home delivery systems can either download the Instacart app for their phones or visit the website at www.instacart.com. McCoy said Hy-Vee's own Aisles Online program typically delivers with late same-day delivery or next-day delivery times. The new vendor will increase delivery range and times of delivery with greater same-day delivery options.

"Across our eight-state region we're seeing more and more e-commerce and this helps us to expand same-day delivery," McCoy said Friday. "With our service you may need to pick a time late in the day or the next day. Instacart deliveries are quicker. It's good for more options for customers and even more slots for delivery options."

She said the initiative is company-wide and Hy-Vee is partnering, not only with Instacart, but also Shipt, in other markets. Keokuk and Fort Madison currently have service available through the Hy-Vee Aisles Online and the Instacart service. Hy-Vee's customer reward system known as Perks, are still available with the Aisles Online service, however those discounts and incentives are not available through the Instacart purchases. Instacart's Senior Operations Manager, Sapna Mitchell wrote in a press release announcing the new local service that there has been interest in the Fort Madison and Keokuk area.

“Over the past year we’ve seen incredible demand in the Fort Madison - Keokuk area,” Mitchell wrote. “We work with a variety of local retailers to provide the freshest, highest quality groceries to our customers. Launching in the Fort Madison - Keokuk area gives us an opportunity to expand service in Iowa. We’re also excited to build a world class shopper community, where we can offer fun and flexible income earning opportunities for our shoppers, who ultimately deliver this amazing service to the community.”

Customers can go online to www.Instacart.com or open the Instacart mobile app on their iPhone or Android device, select their city and store, add items to a virtual cart, then choose a delivery window (within one hour, within two hours, or up to five days in advance) and check out. An Instacart shopper accepts the order on his/her smartphone, uses the Instacart shopper app to guide them through shopping, and then delivers the order to the customer in the designated delivery timeframe.

For orders of $35 or more, the delivery fee is just $5.99. Many customers also take the opportunity to save big over time by signing up for Instacart Express membership, which enables unlimited, free same-day delivery on orders of $35 or more. After a free trial period, Instacart Express membership is just $14.99 a month or $149 a year.

First time users can also enter the code HIKEOKUK through Oct. 23 at checkout to get $20 off an order of $35 or more, plus a free first-time delivery.

Mitchell also indicated that close to 100 shoppers will be brought on with the company to help shop and deliver groceries.

McCoy said if there any issues with a delivery, customers can bring the e-receipt back into Hy-Vee to get the issue resolved.

Shoppers and delivery personnel will use their own vehicles for the delivery, but customers can specify when they would like the groceries delivered and can be expecting the delivery. "There are some preferences that are set so you know when your delivery driver is coming," McCoy said. Delivery is not available 24 hours a day, but deliveries can be scheduled for early morning hours.