How to Grow Your Business as a Shopper

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Shipt regularly sends important updates to your app and shopper email address. These updates include information about retailer launches, app updates, service changes, and more. Our data shows that shoppers who review these updates have the most success in growing their business. 



Everything is a Learning Experience

Have you ever heard about a shopper reaching their 10,000th order Shopper Milestone and wondered what advice they would give in regard to growing a successful business as a shopper with Shipt? A lot of experienced shoppers would say the phrase “practice makes perfect” is true when it comes to growing your shopper business. 

While starting out may sometimes seem overwhelming, keep in mind that every shopper achieving a new Shopper Milestone and celebrating their success didn’t get there overnight — the more you shop, the more opportunities you will also have to learn from your experiences, develop your skills, and grow your independent business. 

Based on feedback from experienced shoppers, key components to success include utilizing the schedule, building member relationships, and shopping efficiently.

  • An experienced shopper with Shipt stated, “Keep good records, and have the tenacity to keep going! I’m always learning and doing more shops so I can be better for our members!


Check Your Schedule

As a shopper with Shipt, you have the flexibility to create your own schedule and decide the days and times you'd like to be available to receive order offers. Indicating your availability on the schedule enables you to receive offers for available orders. 

Once you claim an offered order, you will be able to review important information to help you plan accordingly and ensure you are able to deliver the order on time. Delivering late may negatively impact the member’s experience, which can lead to lower ratings and tips. Therefore, to ensure the growth of your business, aiming for on-time deliveries is key. 

Utilizing the schedule to claim offers can also lead to higher ratings and tips through building relationships with members you claim orders for often.

  • An experienced shopper with Shipt stated, “My biggest piece of advice is to review your entire order before you begin and make a game plan for each shop!” 


Members Matter

If you notice you’re shopping for a specific member on a regular basis, it typically means the member has previously given you high ratings and positive feedback and as a result, you may receive offers for their orders before other shoppers. Keep in mind, you will need to be on the schedule to be offered orders from repeat members! As you continue to shop for and build relationships with members, you’ll be able to get familiar with each member’s order patterns and preferences, which can further ensure order accuracy and efficiency. Members appreciate having a shopper they know will provide high-quality service — it’s like having their own personal shopper! 

  • An experienced shopper with Shipt stated, “I encourage other shoppers to start slow. Pretend that the member is your favorite celebrity, and it’s a privilege to shop for them!” 


Keep Shopping

As you continue to advance your shopping skills and become more efficient through practice and experience, you may be able to complete orders accurately in less time. Shopping faster for items enables you to shop for larger orders, more orders, or multiple orders at once while still maintaining accuracy and on-time deliveries — consider waiting to shop for 2 orders at once until you feel confident completing single orders accurately and on time. 

While you can make more money by completing more orders, keep in mind that providing a positive member experience, including order accuracy, communication, and promptness, can be key for ensuring high ratings and order offerings and, ultimately, growing your shopper business.

  • An experienced shopper with Shipt stated, “Never sacrifice the service you provide to a member by trying to take on more than you can effectively handle.” 


Other Tips & Tricks from Shoppers:

  • “Shipt gives us the tools to succeed, but ultimately your success relies solely on the effort you put forth. Make a plan, execute with diligence, and you’ll come out on top!”

  • “Add a bit of your personality to your messages! I feel that coming off friendly as opposed to simply a courier has truly helped me be a successful Shipt shopper.”

  • “Find your process and stick to it. Advice from other shoppers can be great, but do what works best for you!”

  • “Utilize cooler bags at all times. You never know what circumstances you may encounter in the checkout line or on the road. Food safety is key for our members!”

  • “Members don’t expect perfection, they expect quality. Don’t take on more than you can handle just because of the payout. The payout comes with the quality of the service!”

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