ASTORIA — Queens residents tired of lugging their groceries home can get some relief — delivery company Instacart recently expanded to the borough, now serving Astoria, Long Island City, Woodside and Sunnyside.
The San Francisco-based business — which launched in parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn this spring — lets customers order goods from local stores that can be delivered to them within the hour, according to a recent announcement.
The service is similar to grocery delivery services like FreshDirect, except that Instacart relies on a "crowdsourced labor force" — workers called "personal shoppers" who buy and deliver customers' orders as they come in, according to the company.
Instacart launched in Queens in late July and residents who live in its coverage area can order groceries from Costco and Key Foods, according to Will Nichols, the company's New York City manager.
He said the new neighborhoods were picked based on demand for the service there.
"We've heard from many Queens residents who have asked for our service — busy parents, young professionals, office managers, among others — so we're excited to meet growing customer demand and expand to the Queens neighborhoods that have shown the most interest," Nichols said in a statement.
Queens residents are able to order items from both of the supermarkets in the same order, the company said, and there are plans to expand the Queens service to include more local grocery stores.
Orders under $35 cost $9.99 for delivery within the hour, or $7.99 if delivered after two hours or at a later scheduled slot. Orders more than $35 cost $5.99 for the one-hour delivery, or $3.99 if delivered in two hours or longer.
For more information, visit Instacart's website.
