A major grocery retailer for rural Alaska is planning to launch online ordering and delivery for food stamp recipients who might otherwise have to travel to find a store that accepts federal food aid as payment.
A customer exits the Alaska Commercial store in Point Hope on May 10, 2023. AC took over operation of the store this spring.
The online ordering will allow residents to get grocery delivery not just in the 35 communities with an AC store, but also in hundreds of nearby villages, according to Kyle Hill, AC president. Residents will be able to order food online from their closest AC store using their SNAP benefits, and have the food delivered to their community via bush plane. Hill said the retailer has been pursuing the option for several years.
“Let’s say you’re homebound, and you’re unable to go out and get groceries,” said Deb Etheridge, director of the Alaska Division of Public Assistance. “You can order them, and have them delivered, which really opens up the avenue to have access to food. It’s really a tool in the toolbox to fight food insecurity.”in the state that has signed on to the program, with delivery and pickup options in Anchorage and Wasilla only.
Shipping costs can significantly drive up the total cost of the order, and could be a barrier to accessing the service. Hill said he’s working with Alaska’s congressional delegation to look into whether shipping costs can eventually count as part of the total food cost. That’s an exception that would need to be granted at the federal level.
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