Stop wandering around grocery stores. Use InStock instead.

Why We Built InStock

Shopping can be a frustrating experience when items you need are out of stock. That’s especially true during times of high demand or shortages, as some are experiencing right now due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

I called a local box store a week or two into Coronavirus social distancing, and right in the automated greeting, there was a message saying “if you are calling to inquire about item availability, please come into the store as our associates are unable to answer these questions due to surge in demand”. For me, this was an inconvenience, but for someone especially vulnerable to COVID-19 it could be quite dangerous. Having to go from store to store looking for something could literally kill someone during this pandemic. As Charlotte Baker, a Virginia Tech epidemiologist, put it when he told USA Today : “The biggest concern about a grocery store is everyone wants to be there... That means you’re closer in proximity than we’re recommending people be.”

And so the idea for In Stock was born. It’s a tool for neighbors to help each other shop confidently and efficiently anytime. And in this unprecedented pandemic, it can help us limit travel and in-person interaction as much as possible.