Online grocery platform Instacart has launched the new Instacart Platform, which the San Francisco-based company said will further enable “grocers’ digital transformation with a new suite of enterprise-grade technologies to power the future of grocery.”
What’s new about Instacart Platform? The company said it is now giving retailers access to the technologies behind Instacart’s consumer marketplace to power their own digital properties and retail operations, enabling them to improve the consumer experience online or in-store and digitize the end-to-end grocery operation.
Retailers have the option to either choose from an a-la-carte menu of technologies or employ all of the solutions on one connected platform that works across channels.
Instacart Platform is comprised of:
● E-commerce storefronts custom-built for grocers and a-la-carte recommendation and merchandising capabilities;
● Fulfillment solutions for grocers to do online delivery and pickup from stores or warehouses, from 15-minute ultrafast to next-day delivery;
● Digital integrations and connected hardware to enhance the brick-and-mortar store experience, from scanless carts to technology that helps manage operations;
● Advertising solutions to help brands connect and engage with consumers in the digital aisles;
● Data tools to help retailers optimize operations, provide more connected experiences, and make informed business decisions, said the company.
“The grocery industry is undergoing a digital transformation where customers expect a seamless experience across many channels, but behind the scenes it’s taking an incredible amount of work and investment for retailers to deliver these new services,” Fidji Simo, CEO of Instacart, said in a news release. “We’re looking to change that with Instacart Platform. We started as the e-commerce and fulfillment partner of choice for grocers, and we’ve been building on that foundation to broaden and deepen our capabilities, in order to help retailers innovate faster than ever on their own properties.”
With Instacart Platform, the company is launching three new omnichannel capabilities with retail partners, including:
● Carrot Ads: The new feature brings Instacart advertising to retailers’ owned and operated e-commerce sites. Instacart says Carrot Ads unlock “new monetization capabilities, including revenue share models, to create an additional source of profit for retailers.”
The online grocery platform is currently piloting its new ad service with Schnuck Markets Inc.; Good Food Holdings, which includes Bristol Farms, Metropolitan Market, New Seasons Market, New Leaf Community Markets and Lazy Acres Natural Market; Plum Market and other select retailers, with plans to roll it out more broadly later this year.
● Carrot Warehouses: Designed to help retailers create more flexible, local fulfillment models to unlock capabilities such as 15-minute ultrafast delivery. As a full stack solution within Instacart Platform, Instacart works with retailers to enable end-to-end fast delivery solutions customized to their needs, including building new nano-fulfillment centers, devising floor plans, establishing automation services, and running ongoing operations, said the company.
Carrot Warehouses will power 15-minute ultrafast delivery for Publix customers in Atlanta and Miami over the coming months.
● Carrot Insights: Dashboards track key performance and operational metrics such as order volumes and out of stocks across Instacart Platform and retailers’ own Instacart App storefronts. Instacart’s new data analytics software helps retailers better understand geographic sales, out of stocks and customer buying trends, said the company.
“Across our five iconic food retailing brands, we’re operating in a dynamic industry where we need to meet consumer expectations, both online and offline,” Good Food Holdings CEO Neil Stern said in a release. “Our focus is to leverage the industry’s best technology and partnerships to future-proof our omnichannel retail business. We’re proud to be first movers with
Instacart Platform’s new Carrot Ads feature. We'll now be able to take advantage of Instacart's robust ad-tech and talent to help us unlock additional digital revenue streams for our e-commerce sites."
“Instacart Platform continues to fuel our omnichannel strategy, powering delivery and curbside pickup across our markets,” said Maria Brous, director of communications at Publix. “Our partnership also enables Publix to serve customers in new ways, solving for additional customer use cases by enabling meals delivery and virtual convenience.
“Our new NFCs, built with Instacart Platform, unlock ultrafast delivery in our major metro areas, allowing customers to get what they need in as fast as 15 minutes,” continued Brous. “We are eager to continue to test and iterate on these new concepts as consumer needs continue to evolve.”
Instacart partners with more than 750 national, regional and local retail banners to facilitate online grocery shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 70,000 stores across more than 5,500 cities in North America.