- Instacart is testing a new kind of gig work at some stores.
- Contractors can now earn money by photographing products on shelves to show what’s in stock.
- The brands behind the products use the photos to review what’s there and how displays look.
Instacart is offering its independent contractors a new type of work: Checking shelves on behalf of the companies that supply stores.
Instacart has been testing the program, which it calls “brand tasks,” at some stores since last fall, according to messages seen by shoppers via email and the Instacart app, shared with Business Insider.
“You’ll get paid to take photos of what’s in stock or refill displays,” a message sent to a shopper about a beta version of the program in November said, which was seen by Business Insider.
Instacart built its business using hundreds of thousands of gig workers to shop and deliver groceries, sporting goods, and other items to consumers. The “brand tasks” experiment is one way it’s trying to expand into other areas of grocery and retail technology, along with smart shopping carts and advertising.
One shopper in Pennsylvania, who didn’t want to be identified for fear of retaliation from Instacart, told BI that they completed one of the tasks, which involved taking a photo of a display of Dove body care products, which Unilever makes. Unilever did not respond to a request for comment. BI verified the shopper’s identity and employment by Instacart.
The gig paid about $12 and took about 10 minutes to complete, according to the shopper. That’s more than Instacart pays to shop and deliver some orders, which can easily take an hour, the shopper added.
Instacart confirmed that it is testing the program.
“Shoppers can opt-in to receive access to these tasks and will be able to accept the tasks just as they would a standard batch” of orders, an Instacart spokesperson told BI. The spokesperson declined to confirm where in the US Instacart is testing the new offering or which retailers and brands are involved.
Taking photos of how a shelf looks gives the companies that make food, personal care items, and other items information on what’s selling and how their products appear to customers. “Brands often work with third parties on a periodic basis to gain insights into their in-stock inventory,” the spokesperson said.
Instacart is “primarily focused on display check,” the spokesperson said. “We have evaluated other tasks and could consider adding additional tasks in the future.”
Gig work has been expanding far beyond delivering restaurant orders and driving people to the airport. Multiple apps now allow nurses to pick up single shifts at hospitals and other medical facilities, for instance.
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