Aldi to offer free grocery delivery to SNAP recipients via Instacart
More than 51,000 people in Albany County receive the food assistance benefits
SNAP recipients will be able to purchase grocery items from Aldi and get them delivered to their home via the Instacart app for free for a limited time, thanks to a new partnership between the grocery store chain and the grocery delivery service.
The partnership means Aldi is joining Walmart, Amazon, and Shoprite in the Capital Region who are also providing grocery delivery services to SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) recipients during a pandemic which has created more barriers for those who are food insecure to get food safely.
“It would be a lot easier with kids and work schedules and all of that,” said Quandel Perkins, whose girlfriend is a SNAP recipient. Together they take care of six kids.
There are over 51,000 people in Albany County who receive SNAP benefits, according to Michelle Mcclave, the county ’s Social Services commissioner.
Price Chopper has sought to accept SNAP payments online, since they launched a similar partnership with Instacart in 2017, but has yet to be approved the USDA, said Mona Golub, the spokeswoman for the company.
Hannaford’s online delivery service does not accept SNAP recipients, but their curbside service does, according to a spokeswoman for the company. The Fresh Market also accepts SNAP benefits at its stores, but not via the Instacart service, according to a spokeswoman for the company.
Shipt, a similar delivery service like
Instacart that is offered at Hannaford and Shoprite, was not initially selected to participate in a grocery delivery pilot with USDA, but hopes to in the future, according to a spokeswoman for the company.
Amy Klein, the chief executive officer of the nonprofit Capital Roots, which delivers fresh produce to neighborhoods that are considered food deserts in the Capital Region, said this service would be great if people in low income neighborhoods know about it.
“I don’t know that the target population is aware that that is an opportunity,” Klein said. “It is great to say that SNAP can be used in an effort like this, but if the participants aren’t aware, then it is not a solution.”
Instacart and Aldi are working handin-hand with local government officials and the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to share the news of the SNAP
program throughout the Albany area, according to a company spokeswoman.
Klein also stressed the importance of transparency around the delivery service cost. “When there are introduction periods people get sucked in and those fees just happen.
When you place your fourth order it is suddenly there and you don’t realize it,” Klein said. “A delivery fee would cut into a food budget.”
Instacart will be waiving the delivery fee and service fee for SNAP beneficiaries during a 90-day period, which started Dec. 16 for the first three orders. After the third order, the recipient will be look
ing at a $3.99 delivery fee plus a five percent service fee, if they aren’t an Express member of Instacart, according to the company.
“I would sign up and just like Netflix, when the free trial is over, I would remember to cancel,” Perkins said.
Amazon is providing free delivery for SNAP recipients ordering more
than $25 worth of groceries, whereas Walmart charges a delivery cost that can be paid for with EBT cash benefits from a different welfare program or a personal credit or debit card.
Shoprite also charges a fee that is not covered by SNAP benefits.
“I think this would be a huge help,” said Mike Maloney, the assistant
service director of community resources at Unity House of Troy. Many of the people Unity House serves have two or three jobs and because of their work schedules they have difficulty getting to food pantries or grocery stores, Maloney said.
Others are dependent on public transportation to get to grocery stores, and might be medically or
mobility impaired too, Maloney added, all of which creates difficulties for them to get groceries regularly.
Maloney also warned that technology could create a big snag in access for SNAP beneficiaries.
“A lot of this is done online and a lot of our folks don’t have computers or Wi-fi,” Maloney said.