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Online grocery delivery provides recipients of SNAP benefits with increased access to food and helps them feel less self-conscious about using their benefits, says a survey Monday from online food-ordering and -delivery service DoorDash Inc.
Some 74% of the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients surveyed said online shopping helps them buy more fruits and vegetables without spending more on groceries overall. In addition, 81% of respondents said online grocery delivery helps them feel less self-conscious about using their benefits to purchase groceries compared to doing so in-store. Overall, 61% of respondents said they feel self-conscious about using their benefits for food purchases in-store.
DoorDash surveyed 2,633 SNAP recipients in the United States. SNAP is a federal program that provides food benefits for low-income individuals and families. The delivery service began accepting SNAP payments on its platform in 2003 and partners with more than 1,500 grocers to provide online grocery ordering and delivery,
When asked whether they prefer to shop in-store or online, 78% of respondents say they prefer to use their SNAP benefits for grocery delivery rather than in-store. Reasons include difficulty accessing transportation to the store (45%), busy work schedules (40%), and caregiving responsibilities (34%).
Other reasons include that it helps them stay on budget (74%), it’s easier to find coupons and deals (65%), and because it’s easier to repurchase staple items (91%).
Overall, 95% of respondents said SNAP grocery delivery makes it easier for them to purchase groceries as often as they like, compared to in-store shopping, and 98% agreed that being able to use their SNAP benefits for grocery delivery helps them get groceries when they can’t make it to the store.
When asked about their satisfaction with using DoorDash to place online grocery orders, some 80% of respondents said they are satisfied. In addition, SNAP recipients who use DoorDash for food orders do so regularly. During the past month, about half of respondents using SNAP to make a purchase on DoorDash have ordered more than once, with 1 in 10 having ordered five or more times. In addition, one-third of respondents spent $100 or more of their SNAP benefits on DoorDash the past month.
Earlier this year, DoorDash significantly expanded its SNAP program, adding 13 grocery-store chains to its platform that will accept electronic benefits transfer and SNAP cards for payment, as well as 7,800 Walgreens pharmacies.
