It’s not hard to identify an Instacart shopper at your local supermarket: Look for the people alternately staring at their phones and examining labels to make sure they got the exact right brand of canned beans. I spotted Lucas De Monnin, 30, flying through the Tacoma Costco with a loaded cart. Recently laid off from his job in digital marketing, he is Instacarting for some supplemental income while looking for a full-time job. 

What made you pick Instacart as opposed to, say, Uber Eats?
It’s just more consistent. You can make, give or take, at least a certain amount every day, where [with] Uber Eats, there’s lunch rushes. You can be a little more active, too, and at least walk around and earn your money. 

Do you usually end up at Costco?
Fred Meyer and Costco are the easiest to shop in and find the items that you need to. Safeway is a little bit harder because it’s just a little bit inconsistent. At Costco, there’s four or five types of bread, versus at Safeway there could be 30 different types of white bread. So, it’s a little bit easier to shop at Costco, and I think people pay a
little bit better. 

Are there any items that you notice people consistently ordering?
The top three are rotisserie chicken from Costco, items like toilet paper and paper towels, and the third one would probably be berries and fruit. 

Do you feel like doing this job you have gotten to know people through their grocery orders?
You definitely notice who is on the healthier end and which customer is, you know, getting frozen food, french fries, stuff like that versus the other person who is getting a lot of produce and healthier, organic items. 

What are the worst habits you see in grocery stores?
I think Instacart people can be inconsiderate of other people in the store because they’re rushing around cutting people off. You know, we have a window. I don’t know if you saw my cart when I met you, but that cart was pretty big, and Instacart gave me a recommended time of 48 minutes to do it. I did in like 32 minutes. The faster you are, the sooner you can deliver.

How is the tipping, generally, on Instacart?
You have every which way type of person. Some tip you hardly anything off six cases of water up two flights of stairs, and then you’ll have someone who tips 40 bucks on just a prescription pickup from Costco.

Did you like grocery shopping before you started doing this?
No, I honestly didn’t. But it actually can be kind of therapeutic and fun.