A SkyBoat Review – By Adrian Beecher
Shipt, the pros, and cons of the shopper app looking to take a piece of the market much dominated by Amazon. I took some time to test out this app to see if it is worth the saved time that is created by not having to go to the store yourself, by utilizing one of the apps nearly 100,000 hired shoppers.
Upfront Cost
As one could expect to find off the jump, you have to pay to utilize the program. You can opt-in for the annual plan for $99, or you can pay $14 monthly for use of the app. One of the perks of selecting the annual plan is you get to try it out for free for two weeks and cancel.
Free Delivery*
The “free delivery” only kicks in if you have an order larger than $35, which wouldn’t be hard to hit if you’re stocking up for the week or getting dinner supplies for the family. However, if you’re looking for a quick cheap snack or to save on getting a meal for the night for yourself, I wouldn’t recommend the platform, as any order not hitting the $35 threshold will be tacked on with a $7 delivery fee.
Increased Prices
As you shop around through the Shipt platform, you might start to notice that some of the products you regularly buy seem to be a bit more pricey than you remember. Well, you don’t have amnesia, they are in fact taxed a bit too, as the app platform describes it, “Shipt prices will vary slightly from in-store prices to help cover the costs of picking, packing, and processing.”
The platform estimates that members can expect on average an upcharge of $5 per $35 order. You can, however, beat this estimate by checking the prices on the actual retailer’s site to ensure you don’t overpay more than you bargained for.
Money Saving Tip**
If you do elect to have Shipt take on your shipping needs, an excellent tip I have for you is this. Avoid purchasing beauty products from the app. On average, the cost when purchasing through Shipt, as opposed to going to Meijer on the app, I found that most of the beauty and toiletry items were heavily taxed above their in-store cost.
For example, a bottle of Dover body wash would have cost me $1.40 more on the app than in the store. Another example Angel Soft Toilet Paper 12-pack mega roll would have cost me $0.90 more than in the store.
If you have a friend that has the app already, ask them for a referral code and you can get an annual plan for only $49 and it gives them a $50 shopping credit.
** Saving Time**
Now, despite those cons previously listed, this app will most certainly save you time. You can select your order and have it delivered within an hour and a half, or you can have it delivered a week from now. So that aspect is extremely beneficial.
You won’t have to fight through the crowds to get what you are looking for. The app provides you with instant communication with the Shipt shopper selecting your order. You are able to communicate with them if they have questions about an item or the item you picked out isn’t in stock. You can then direct them to get another product or select not to get that product.
In Conclusion
This is an excellent product for the busy person that wants to save time and get their grocery shopping done quickly or the family that would like to spend more time at home then wrestling with the store crowds. If you are ok with the slight taxing charge on your products, go for it, and you will not be disappointed. Just be careful with the products you select, as I stated before, I wouldn’t recommend purchasing your toiletries on the app.
(Image Courtesy of Shipt Press Communications)
