Grubhub and Mercato, an online marketplace for independent grocery stores, have partnered to bring Mercato's inventory of more than 950 merchants to the Grubhub Marketplace.
With this third-party delivery partnership for Mercato, Grubhub says it is expanding its Marketplace selection and now offering grocery, convenience and alcohol merchants. Mercato's merchants can grow their business and e-commerce footprint with access to Grubhub's millions of customers through this partnership, according to a news release.
"Grubhub started as a marketplace for independent restaurants, so it's only fitting that as we expand into the grocery space it's first with a partner that works with independent grocers," Craig Whitmer, vice president of new verticals at Grubhub, said in the release. "By joining forces with local grocers, we're not just delivering for our customers, but we're delivering for small businesses to help grow their online presence. Our customers can now get more of what they need on Grubhub, while Mercato's merchants gain access and increased visibility among our customers."
Mercato says its merchant partners span 38 states and over 320 cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Boston. Merchants pick and pack individual orders that are then picked up by customers or delivered by Grubhub's fleet of drivers. Customers can choose from a selection of merchants depending on their needs, including delis, seafood and produce markets, bakeries, butcher shops, natural foods stores and more.
"This partnership represents a fantastic opportunity for Mercato merchants to reach new customers and grow their business through Grubhub's extensive customer base," Bobby Brannigan, CEO and founder of Mercato, said in the release. "We've developed a purposefully-built inventory management and order fulfillment platform for local grocers, seamlessly integrating with over 87 point-of-sale systems, thereby enabling merchants to effectively manage online orders. This collaboration will stimulate increased demand for our merchants, empowering them to capitalize on the efficient system we have developed to operate a profitable e-commerce business."
To order, customers can select the grocery button within the Grubhub app and on web, where all available merchants will populate. All of Mercato's merchant supply will be available on Grubhub+, Grubhub's loyalty program that provides customers access to unlimited no-charge delivery on eligible orders, the company said.