Instacart and AWG expand partnership, introduce smart carts
Instacart has expanded a partnership with Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc., food wholesaler to independently owned supermarkets, to offer e-commerce and same-day delivery solutions to member retailers.
With more than 800 AWG member retailer locations currently using Instacart, the extended collaboration simplifies access for an additional 2,300 member retailer locations to join Instacart's technology suite, according to a news release.
Instacart and AWG are working closely together to help retailers set up an online shopping and delivery service to meet their customers' needs, the release said. Once the grocer is live on the Instacart app, customers can visit the Instacart website or download the mobile app, enter their city, select their store and start adding items to their Instacart grocery cart. An Instacart shopper will pick and deliver the order within the customer's chosen time frame — whether on the same day or scheduled up to two weeks in advance.
"Our joint effort with AWG is more than a partnership; it's a dedicated effort to empower independently owned grocers to navigate the digital landscape," Nick Nickitas, general manager for local independent grocery at Instacart and founder of Rosie, said in the release. "Through this collaboration, AWG's retailers now have access to convenient, cost-effective solutions that allow them to easily bring their stores to their customers' doors. We're excited about what we can achieve together."
In addition to offering same-day delivery, Instacart says it also equips retailers with in-store technology solutions like Caper Carts, which use computer vision and artificial intelligence to automatically identify items as they are placed in the cart.
"We've witnessed the tremendous value Instacart brings to many of our local independent grocers, making innovation, growth, and deeper customer engagement possible. That's why we're partnering to streamline access to the technology and service our retail partners need to grow via a proven e-commerce offering," Shelly Moore, chief information officer for AWG, said in the release. "By partnering with Instacart, we're making it even easier for our member retailers to bring the convenience of e-commerce to life and ultimately drive business growth."
AWG members will deploy these smart carts to transform the traditional checkout experience, allowing customers to bag items as they shop and make payments from anywhere in the store, the release said. Customers will also be able to link their loyalty account to the carts, gaining access to personalized promotions and savings as they shop.
"As an AWG member retailer, we've been incredibly proud to expand our online business through the Instacart platform," Tim Cosens, of McKeever's Price Chopper, said in the release. "We understand first-hand the impact that e-commerce and same-day delivery powered by Instacart can drive for our business. As we look ahead to the next chapter, we view Instacart as an integral technology partner and look forward to implementing even more of their omnichannel solutions, like their AI-driven smart shopping carts."
"At Town & Country Supermarkets, our goal is to make shopping easy for everyone. Our partnership with Instacart continues to boost our omnichannel strategy by offering same-day delivery to our customers, helping us meet their needs in innovative ways," Joe Polizzi, president and CEO at Town & Country Supermarkets, said in the release. "We're excited about the future and eager to see how this partnership will continue to evolve and benefit our customers."
