It’s not uncommon for some of his clients
to ask for more unusual requests, such as
items from the hardware store, dry cleaning
or pharmacy pickups. For his LGI clients he
also performs garbage removal service on
Tuesdays and Fridays.
“I’ve even picked up appliances for
people,” he said. “And there’s one customer
I have on LGI who has a dog named Bandit
that I take to the groomer once a month.
With the right amount of lead time, there’s
not much I can’t do.”
For grocery pick-ups Evan charges a $50
fl at rate and 10 percent of the grocery total.
That includes delivery and stocking of the
house. If the delivery is to Gasparilla Island
the toll is taken into account, but he said if
someone forgets an item from their list he
will gladly go back and buy it, then return
with it to their home without a large extra
charge. He will also deliver liquor, as long as
proper identifi cation can be provided.
He acknowledged that he and his crew
know the ins and outs of stocking a pantry
and a refrigerator.
“We know where to put the red wines and
where to put the whites,” he laughed. “No
one will be disappointed by our stocking
capabilities. We set it up nicely.”
If you’re interested in giving Evan a call, he
can be reached at (941) 830-1346.
DO YOU JUST NEED THE BARE
NECESSITIES?
Gasparilla Island resident Robin Melvin
has been using the delivery service Shipt for
almost two years now, and she is happy with
the results. Robin said she
always shops the Placida
Road Publix through Shipt,
and when the groceries arrive, they are in
good condition.
“All of them lately have been using cooler
bags, it’s great,” she said. “Everything arrives
cold and like it should, and they bring it right
up the stairs.”Robin said she wasn’t sure how
the toll fee is passed on, as she has never
seen it on her bill.
This company was founded in
Birmingham, Alabama by Bill Smith, a high
school dropout and serial entrepreneur who
already had more than one successful startup
under his belt … and a particular hatred
for shopping.
58 GASPARILLA MAGAZINE • May/June • 2021
If you’re like Bill and don’t care for the
shopping experience, Shipt is another
option that will get your groceries to the
island on your terms, saving your time.
Instacart, Shipt’s primary rival, at this time,
does not. In fact, when asked if shoppers
could meet the buyer in a parking lot (say
Eldred’s Marina, or the Placida Boat Ramp,
for instance) their corporate offi ce said that
went against their policy.
If you live on the main land and go to the
Shipt website
you’ll see store
options that
include ABC
Liquor, Winn
Dixie, Offi ce
Depot/Offi ce
Max, Bed, Bath
& Beyond,
CVS Pharmacy,
Target and Publix. However, when you type
in an address on Gasparilla Island the only
option that comes up is Publix. It might
be worth it to try from time to time, as that
might change in the future.
With Shipt, you have the option to create
a membership, which costs $99 a year. You
can choose that option or Shipt passes,
which is a one-time fee for delivery. Delivery
is free for members on orders more than
$35. They will still deliver smaller orders, but
a $7 delivery fee will be added to help cover
the costs of shopping and delivery. Your
best bet is to shop carefully and purchase as
many groceries at one time as you can. Be
mindful of the fact that the larger the order,
the more you should tip your shopper.
Shipt prices on each item that you shop
from their app or website are a little bit more
expensive than the prices you see in the
store, as that is how the company makes
money. If you have a membership, you can
expect to pay about .30 to .50 cents more
per item, but sometimes it’s less. Also, a
service fee will be added on from some
Shipt retailers.
People who use personal shoppers or a
service like Shipt often say they actually save
money, as the person holding the wallet isn’t
the one walking the aisles … which means
there are no impulse shopping purchases.
You certainly can’t beat the convenience.