The ability for folks over the age of 60 to get groceries is a big concern during this pandemic. Stores are creating special shopping hours for the elderly, I’m Instacarting my septuagenarian parents, and starting today, more than 2,000 grocery store locations across the country will offer free grocery delivery for those over 60 years old.
According to a press release emailed to us this morning, Hy-Vee, Woodmans, Kowalski’s Markets and “hundreds of independent grocers” such as Piggly Wiggly, LifeThyme Natural Market, Le District and Matherne’s will all be waiving delivery fees on orders fulfilled by DoorDash for those 60 and older.
DoorDash is leading the effort with participation from grocery solutions Freshop, GrocerKey, Mercato and Rosie. Customers will have the option of no-contact delivery. It’s not quite a blanket solution as there are some holes in coverage and some fine print, as outlined below. Here are the specifics from the press announcement:
- Hy-Vee: Starting March 31, Hy-Vee will offer free delivery to individuals who are 60 and older as well as expectant mothers and those who are considered high risk for illness in communities where Hy-Vee Aisles Online delivery orders are fulfilled by DoorDash. These customers will be able to use a designated promo code at checkout when they place their order through hy-vee.com/grocery. The promotion with Hy-Vee will cover up to 20,000 deliveries.
- GrocerKey: Partnering with market leading retailers throughout the U.S. and Canada, GrocerKey provides a full stack retailer branded eCommerce platform built for independent and regional grocery chains. GrocerKey also provides full service solutions, including in-store labor to pick and pack orders for fulfillment. In partnership with DoorDash, Kowalski’s, and Woodman’s, GrocerKey is extending free delivery to customers throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois (details below on how to receive free delivery).
Woodman’s: Log in to your account on ShopWoodmans.com. If you are a new customer, please create an account first and then start shopping. The discount will be available through May 1.
Kowalski’s: Log in to your Kowalski’s On The Go account. If you are a new customer, please create an account first and then start shopping. The discount will be available through May 1.
- Mercato: Mercato provides online ordering and same-day delivery from high-quality independent grocery and specialty food stores across the country. To sign up for unlimited free delivery from any one of Mercato’s 900+ participating stores until May 7, visit Mercato.com, input your delivery zip code, and choose products from any of the stores in your delivery area. During checkout, you can sign up for a free trial of the Mercato Green delivery membership program, input the promo code OVER60, and you will be prompted to put in your date of birth. When the delivery arrives, you will also need to show ID verification to the delivery driver. [Ed. Note: This does not seem like no-contact, come on, Mercato, relax.]
- Rosie: Rosie is the preferred eCommerce partner to independent retailers such as Rosauers Supermarkets, Super 1 Foods, Macey’s, and Gourmet A’Fare and many more. Find a full list of stores here. To sign up for free delivery through May 7, head to Rosie and use promo code “DDFREE” at checkout for nearly 200 participating retailers.
- Freshop: Freshop builds eCommerce platforms for over 2,000 of the nation’s leading grocers and specialty retailers including Foodtown, Fisher’s Foods, Brookhaven and Hays and is adding 300+ stores a week in support of COVID-19 efforts. DoorDash has enabled many Freshop stores to start offering delivery during these challenging times. Learn more at https://www.freshop.com.
Today’s free delivery announcement follows the announcement earlier this week from ridesharing company, Lyft that it would be providing meal deliveries to the elderly and school kids.
Hold on to these bright spots, the dark times aren’t over yet.
