Instacart expands employee option

San Francisco - Instacart is expanding a program that lets some contract workers become part-time employees. The online grocery delivery service is now offering its contractor in-store shoppers in Houston and Austin, Texas, the option of applying for new employee roles with expanded responsibilities.



Currently, Instacart has several hundred in-store shoppers across Houston and Austin, embedded in retail partner stores. The employee option already exists for Instacart’s in-store shoppers in Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami and Washington, D.C. With the new Texas additions, Instacart now offers this option in seven of its 16 cities, with more to come.



After making in-store shoppers Instacart employees, the company will provide additional training and supervision. Based on its experience in other cities, Instacart expects approximately three-quarters of its Houston and Austin in-store shoppers to apply for these part-time positions. Those who choose to remain contractors can move into driver or combined driver/shopper roles.



“We’re pleased to expand the employee model into Houston and Austin,” said Apoorva Mehta, founder and CEO of Instacart. “Our order volume in both cities is growing quickly, and we want to ensure that our customers have the best possible experience. Attracting, training and retaining high-quality shoppers is key to that effort.”



Instacart offers part-time employees wages that exceed the local minimum wage in each of its markets.