The explosion in popularity of ride sharing and food delivery apps means that gig work, or contract work, has become a much more common form of employment across the country. But the mass exodus of workers from the retail industry over the course of the pandemic means many companies are now also hiring gig workers for in-house tasks like stocking shelves, assembling displays and packing online orders.

“Grocers and retailers in general are definitely looking at it now more than ever for in-store over the last couple years,” said Marco Di Marino, director of retail and grocery with consulting firm AlixPartners. “They’re looking at these platforms not really as a labor replacement but as a way to scale up and down that otherwise in the current condition would be very difficult.”

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