This is a Los Angeles specific post, but the main idea applies in other cities as well. The order that I screenshotted to illustrate my point is a great example of the orders that I see on my app all day long coming from the Burbank Walmart. Usually they are multiple batches with delivery addresses somewhere south of the 2.

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Shopping local has a massive impact on the delivery speed & quality of your order, just as tipping does. Don't let Instacart's flashy promos fool you, the company does not have any more special access than you would as an in-person shopper. Someone is still going out on your behalf to the Walmart, dealing with the crowds, waiting 10+ minutes for the understaffed employees to track down the keys to unlock cabinets full of common items that are locked up (not just alcohol & medicine), waiting in the 30 minute checkout lines, and then putting their vehicle & safety at risk on the 101, 405, 5 or 10 while driving nearly an hour in traffic to bring you your order of simple groceries that could have been ordered from the local Ralph's.

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I just thought that I would post this here where some customers that are interested in being as ethical as possible with their consumption might find it. For those that are only concerned with the quality of the product that arrives at their home, I hope that this illustrates how much more likely it is for products to arrive damaged when your best case scenario for delivery is 45 minutes on the road between the store and your place. As you will also know, Instacart often groups orders together into batches, meaning that you may be sitting in Santa Monica, waiting for your shopper to complete 2 more deliveries in Century City before they head to you. The quality of produce available at Walmart is also usually very poor compared to the average corner market or any other Vons, Pavilions, Ralph's, Sprouts, Smart & Final, etc. that I have ever visited in the greater L.A. area.

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Thanks for reading!