Instacart remains committed to supporting the health and safety of its entire shopper community as we move through the COVID-19 crisis. As the new school year begins and parents navigate these uncertain times, we understand what a challenge it can be to balance both remote schooling and child care. To help support shoppers who are providing an important essential service for customers while also navigating the uncertainty of remote learning and child care, we’re introducing a new back-to-school shopper program, including a child care financial assistance pilot and school supplies perks.
Shopper Child Care Assistance Program
While schools enact new policies, including remote and hybrid learning, parents have even more responsibilities — and expenses — to manage. In states particularly impacted by COVID-19, many working parents are being forced to hire sitters, pay for online classes, or increase their spend on day cares or other care facilities. To help with those expenses, we’re providing eligible shoppers with additional financial assistance and support in five pilot states that have been particularly impacted by COVID-19. Eligible shoppers in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and Texas may receive additional financial resources to better navigate the beginning of the school year.
To be eligible, shoppers must reside in one of the pilot states and be a parent or guardian who is the primary caregiver for a child whose school or daycare has transitioned to distance learning and will not be holding in-person learning sessions due to COVID-19. Shoppers should be active on the platform for more than 30 days and have shopped 50 or more batches in the last 30 days, including at least one batch in the last 14 days. The program will run through September as an initial pilot, helping offer support for the start of the academic year.
Partnering with Staples to Help with Back to School Supplies
As the new school year begins, we want to get each student off to a great start, regardless if they’re learning at home or in the classroom. We’re partnering with Staples to offer all shoppers an exclusive discount on their in-store purchases, helping shoppers and their children more easily access the items they need. This perk offers $20 off purchases of $50 or more, a discount of up to 40%.
This new offering is our latest investment in perks to benefit the shopper community. In August, we partnered with Doctor on Demand to give shoppers access to free COVID-19 assessments and telemedicine appointments. Earlier this year, we launched partnerships with CarAdvise and Good Sam, providing shoppers with savings on automobile maintenance and roadside assistance.
We understand that caregivers have new responsibilities when providing for their families during this time. We’re committed to delivering for all the communities we serve and ensuring customers and shoppers can safely and reliably use Instacart.
As a thank you for being a part of our community, please take full advantage of all the perks we offer shoppers. You can learn more about all of the available perks in the Shopper Help Center.