With a general public staying at home, wisely shy about venturing out amid the COVID-19 health emergency, La Crosse, Wis.-based Kwik Trip is making it easier for hungry, homebound customers to have food come to them by waiving delivery fees.
Consumers can be forgiven for expecting some unscrupulous operators to take advantage of the situation by raising prices on items that seem to be in short supply – like toilet paper, hand sanitizer, hand soap and even food. But more Americans, it seems, are rallying together to help each other cope with the coronavirus pandemic.
Instead of using the health emergency as a reason to increase the cost for customers to access its 24/7 hot food delivery service, the c-store chain has made it easier. Kwik Trip posted on its Twitter account on March 17, that it is waving its EatStreet delivery fees through the end of April.
With consumers doing their best to avoid leaving their homes out of caution to not spread the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, being able to order from a reputable local store whose product you know is safe can do wonders for peace of mind.
The most recent data from media and markets analyst CivicScience shows that 21% of delivery service users are using them more during the pandemic. Add to those users the 55% who have food delivered as much as they did pre-coronavirus spread, and it’s clear that delivery is an important piece of the self-quarantine puzzle.
And Kwik Trip, which operates more than 600 stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, doesn’t limit its delivery items to the hot food menu. Customers can order more than 400 items through the EatStreet delivery service, including beverages, ice cream, snacks and more.
Like many other convenience retailers, due to the health emergency and state mandates, Kwik Trip has had to discontinue its self-serve food, including coffee, fountain sodas, roller grill items, bakery, soup, and other items. While the restrictions at the time applied only to Wisconsin, the company has implemented those restrictions in Minnesota and Iowa as well.
Why? The posting, titled “A friendly update,” said that the measures are being done “out of an abundance of caution.” A good practice for all of us during this difficult time.