Waiting too long for grocery delivery? Here are some other options in Whatcom County
Before the coronavirus pandemic, grocery delivery was a small, but steadily growing trend in Whatcom County. In the past few weeks it’s become so popular that keeping up with demand has been difficult.
As many residents on social media and Nextdoor neighborhood apps have pointed out, getting groceries delivered right away can be challenging. Many are finding delivery to be about a week out, and a check on Instacart found that to be the case on Monday evening, April 6. It’s a similar situation for some of the curbside pick programs, such as the one Fred Meyer offers.
The drivers have stepped up, working longer hours to complete the deliveries. However, it’s tough keeping up with demand, particularly for seniors and those who have underlying health conditions and don’t want to venture out to stores just yet.
While it didn’t report local numbers, the national growth for Instacart makes it clear why it can take up to a week for deliveries. In an email statement to The Bellingham Herald, Instacart noted that last week its app was downloaded on iPhones at seven times more than a typical week. Delivery volume in recent weeks is 150% above normal.
Making it more challenging is reduced store hours, more bulk orders and longer lines at stores, according to the delivery company.
Other local options
A few locally owned stores have developed their own way of helping those who prefer not to go inside businesses.
As the coronavirus pandemic took hold in Whatcom County, Markets LLC CEO Kevin Weatherill developed a curbside pickup program for his stores, which include locations in Birch Bay, Blaine, Lynden, Everson, Anacortes and Sedro Woolley. Shoppers would call in an order, and a worker would pick up the items and deliver it to the customer in the parking lot. With this system they’ve been able to deliver it that day and haven’t reached capacity yet.
The success of it caught Weatherill by surprise, he said, adding that the older customers have especially loved the service.
“The only bottle neck is phone capacity — but people are very patient and we return calls fairly quickly,” Weatherill said in an email to The Herald, adding that this system works well because they can handle substitutions on the phone and it is keeping his staff working.
The Community Food Co-op started a curbside program last week at its downtown store, General Manager Adrienne Renz reported.
“We know demand is high for these services and have had good feedback from shoppers that have tested this program out,” Renz wrote in an email, adding that those medically at risk can access food through this option in a no-physical-contact format.
There are also local small businesses that offer delivery services. Many can be found offering services on social media pages. A couple of examples include:
▪ Old World Deli: The downtown Bellingham eatery has a limited amount of grocery items, such as pasta and wine, they can deliver for no extra cost (minimum purchase required). Details can be found on its website.
▪ Dairy Distributing: Along with the dairy products it started delivering to residents early on in the pandemic, Dairy Distributing recently added Avenue Bread products, according to its Facebook page. The orders can be made over the phone at 360-734-3019 or by email at dairytoyourdoorstep@gmail.com.
Instacart tips
Instacart offers its services at many of the bigger Bellingham stores. Here are some tips the company gave for dealing with the high demand:
▪ Check delivery times frequently in the app. Due to heightened customer demand, available delivery windows may fluctuate throughout the day.
▪ Choose preferred replacements and be available for shopper questions. While your shopper is filling your order, be ready to respond to questions she or he may have about replacement options by using in-app chat.
▪ Plan ahead. Take frequent inventory of your fresh foods, pantry staples and household essentials, and place your orders in advance of running out of key essentials.
▪ Send groceries to a loved one. As an Instacart customer, you can send groceries to friends or family members, even if they’re across the country.
▪ Use a group cart. With Instacart’s group carts, you can invite a friend or loved one to join your cart, work together to add the items they need, and ship them directly to their preferred address. Families in the same household can make sure everyone orders the items they want, or you can help a relative in another state add all the items they need and navigate the checkout and delivery process for them.
▪ Share Instacart’s how-to video with friends and family.
This story was originally published April 8, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
