As restaurants are temporarily shuttered and grocery stores resemble a scene from an apocalyptic film, people are having to rely on alternate services for sustenance. Twenty years ago, the impact of COVID-19 guidelines on our daily lives would have been much different, leaving us cut-off from services, forced to make do with whatever skills and ingredients we had. Thankfully, the year is 2020 and while this pandemic is devastating in many ways, anxieties are slightly eased by the modern technologies and inventions that keep us connected. 

From grocery and food delivery to meal-prep and cooking kits, Irvine is adjusting to its new normal as indefinite restrictions are imposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Orange County authorities in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. 

While these new rules are meant to preserve and protect lives, local businesses can’t help but feel the negative effects. Restaurants and family-owned establishments need our support now more than ever, but for many Californians that are facing coronavirus-related furloughs and layoffs, the money to frequently order to-go just isn’t there. 

Thankfully, ordering services aren’t a limited menu, with budget-friendly alternatives available at the tap of an app that help to stretch food beyond one meal. How are services like these fairing in these uncertain times? We spoke with some popular online delivery services to learn how COVID-19 has changed the way they do business. 

Many have seen a dramatic increase in customers, especially giants like Amazon and AmazonFresh. People are rushing to order whatever pantry-fillers they can, and workers are working tirelessly to restock and meet demand. 

“We believe our role serving customers and the community during this time is a critical one. We’ve seen an increase in people shopping online for groceries and are working around the clock to continue to deliver grocery orders to customers as quickly as possible,” says an Amazon spokesperson. 

Instacart is a service that shops for you, sending out dedicated team members to places like Costco, Sprouts and even CVS to get customers what they need. Offering grocery delivery from more than half of all grocery stores to residents in 5,500 cities across the country, Instacart has seen a significant surge in app downloads, as much as four-fold on the Apple app store over the last week. Currently, the Instacart app ranks #2 in the Food and Drink category in both Apple and Google Play stores. 

This past weekend, the service saw the highest customer demand in Instacart’s history in terms of groceries sold on their platform. They currently have the most shoppers they’ve ever had, and some are calling them “household heroes” for assisting customers when they need them most.

“As consumer demand continues to climb, our teams are working around the clock to ensure we can reliably serve the millions of customers turning to Instacart as an essential service provider,” says Instacart. “With the purchase of more bulk items, busier stores overall and longer check-out lines, we’re leaning on the flexibility of our dynamic delivery model to meet the needs of our customers.” 

Given the unprecedented nature of this public health crisis, Instacart is working diligently with local and national authorities to ensure the safety of their staff, or “shoppers.” They are treading the line carefully, providing minimal disruption to service while also taking the appropriate precautionary measures to keep their teams, shoppers and customers safe. Safety measures include updated health and safety guidelines for shoppers, a new sick pay policy for all in-store shoppers nationwide, and additional extended pay for any Instacart shopper — both part-time employees and independent contractors — affected by COVID-19.

As each city levies their own restrictions and lockdowns, the availability of service adjusts. 

“In some markets, based on overall demand, our customers may see delivery availability vary during busier request windows. In the majority of our deliveries over the last week, we’ve been able to meet same or next-day delivery requests for our customers. We’re committed to safely serving the entire Instacart community and continuing to be an essential service our customers can rely on during this busy time,” confirms Instacart. 

According to the app, the average customer basket size on Instacart is up more than 20 percent month-over-month. The most popular searches this week? Hand sanitizer, vitamins, powdered milk, diapers, face masks and canned goods. 

Safety is the name of the game for all, with more than 25 percent of all orders in the past week leveraging Instacart’s new “Leave at My Door” drop-off delivery option. Communities and families are taking care of their own, with more than 40 percent increase in the number of people using Instacart to place and send orders to others. Customers are using Instacart to send groceries to family, friends and seniors across the country to ensure no one goes without. Those looking to do that same can enter the ZIP code of a friend or loved one into the app, select their desired store, fill the cart and check out to give the gift of groceries remotely.

While nothing about this situation is easy, there are services to make times a little less difficult and ease the isolation we are all feeling. Together, if we remain indoors and follow COVID-19 safety guidelines, we can slow the spread of this pandemic and keep ourselves, our neighbors and our families safe. 

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