Even as many states have been easing lockdown measures, the Cowen report shows that in August, 32% of respondents indicated they had purchased groceries online, up from 18% the previous year.

Traditional grocers and retailers are generally not all that tech savvy. The need to swiftly set up systems for online ordering and home delivery in the pandemic provided Instacart the opportunity to expand its partnerships. It now offers delivery from more than 500 retailers such as Walmart, 7-Eleven, and Sephora, and delivers from 40,000 store locations across the US and Canada. The high demand for online delivery has been felt by the Instacart workers who have been protesting for hazard pay and better benefits.

Groceries are a low-margin business. Still, big retailers like Amazon and Walmart have long seen them as a way of attracting frequent buyers in the hopes they’ll also shop for higher-margin items.

The question for Instacart, meanwhile, is whether its newfound customers will continue to stick around and pay up for delivery, particularly outside the urban markets where the service got its start.

📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief

Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.