SpartanNash Announces More Perks, Greater Value for Online Grocery Shoppers

As part of its commitment to make online shopping for groceries accessible, affordable and convenient, Fortune 400 grocery retailer and distributor SpartanNash Company announced expanded benefits available exclusively for its Fast Lane subscribers.

Annual Fast Lane subscriptions are available for $49 per year and include free, unlimited curbside pickup at any SpartanNash store that offers Fast Lane online grocery shopping (a $4.95-per-order savings). Now, Fast Lane subscribers can save even more with...

Kroger Delivery Arrives in Florida

Kroger announced the opening of the Customer Fulfillment Center (CFC) in Groveland, FL powered by Ocado Group, a world leader in technology for grocery e-commerce. This marks Kroger's entry into the Florida market with an e-commerce delivery service that combines vertical integration, machine learning, and robotics with affordable, friendly, and fast delivery of grocery items and fresh food.

"The Kroger Delivery network combines the efficiency of technology with the experience of our associates to deliver fresh, affordable food, and a consistent and rewarding customer experience," said Gabriel Arreaga, Kroger's chief supply chain officer. "We're proud to launch Kroger Delivery in Florida, a new geography for Kroger and...

Instacart Launches Priority Delivery and Introduces 30-Minute Grocery Delivery

Instacart introduced "Priority Delivery," a new experience that unlocks faster grocery delivery for customers across the U.S. and Canada. As part of this launch, customers in some of the largest cities in the U.S. will now have access to grocery delivery in as fast as 30 minutes. With Priority Delivery, Instacart is bringing the in-store express lane online, helping customers immediately get what they need delivered from their favorite grocers and specialty retailers. With this launch, Instacart is unveiling a new Priority Delivery product experience that makes it even easier for customers to discover the fastest delivery windows available in their area.

As part of the rollout of Priority Delivery, customers in more than 15 of the largest cities in the U.S., including Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle, across more than 300 store locations, will now be able to access 30-minute delivery from...

Instacart Expands EBT SNAP Payment to Three New Retailers for Grocery Delivery and Pickup

Instacart, the leading online grocery platform in North America, announced an expansion of its EBT SNAP payment integration to  include three new retailers - Publix, The Save Mart Companies and Price Chopper/Market 32 - for online grocery delivery and pickup. This expansion will increase EBT SNAP availability by more than 1,500 stores across 15 states.

EBT SNAP is now available at all Publix locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The Save Mart Companies - including Save Mart, Lucky California, Lucky and FoodMaxx banners - has enabled EBT SNAP across California and Nevada, making them the first Northern California retailer to offer...

Kroger and Drone Express Partner to Provide Grocery Delivery by Drone

The Kroger Co. and Drone Express, a division of TELEGRID Technologies, Inc., announced a pilot to offer grocery delivery via autonomous drones, expanding the retailer's seamless ecosystem and providing customers with anything, anytime, anywhere.

"Kroger's new drone delivery pilot is part of the evolution of our rapidly growing and innovative e-commerce business – which includes pickup, delivery, and ship and reached more than $10 billion in sales in 2020," said Kroger's Jody Kalmbach, group vice president of product experience. "The pilot reinforces the importance of flexibility and...

Amazon Expands In-Garage Grocery Delivery to Prime Members

Amazon announced that Key by Amazon In-Garage Grocery Delivery is expanding to everywhere grocery delivery from Amazon is available, providing service to more than 5,000 U.S. cities and towns. Originally launched in five cities last November, Key In-Garage Grocery Delivery can now be used by millions of eligible Prime members to have their Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market groceries delivered securely and conveniently inside their garage.

Customers Seek Convenience

Customers relied on online grocery delivery services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s clear they’ll continue to use grocery delivery because of the convenience it provides. In a recent survey by Morning Consult commissioned by Amazon, nearly 70% of Americans report that grocery delivery is...

Kroger Delivery Introduces First Customer Fulfillment Center

Kroger is launching the first Customer Fulfillment Center (CFC), combining vertical integration, machine learning, and robotics with affordable, friendly, and fast delivery service for fresh food.

Located in Monroe, OH – a city north of Cincinnati – and powered by Ocado Group, a world leader in technology for grocery e-commerce, the CFC is the first to open, transforming and supporting the grocer's thriving digital business.

"2020 was a pivotal year for grocery e-commerce, with Kroger's digital business scaling to over $10 billion—and achieving a record digital sales increase of...

Meijer Reveals Unique Shopping Trends One Year into Pandemic Living

As the one-year mark into pandemic living has officially passed, Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer Meijer reveals some of the most surprising shopping trends from the height of the shutdown to the ongoing changes in home and work lifestyles across the Midwest.

While home delivery and pickup services doubled at Meijer stores over the last 12 months, customers used the retailer's Shop & Scan technology more than 100 million times as they shopped and bagged while practicing social distancing to shorten time spent in the store. Additionally, customers also ate more...

Instacart Reveals How the Pandemic has Transformed Consumer Grocery Habits

Instacart released "Beyond the Cart: A Year of Essential Insights," a new report highlighting how the pandemic has transformed 100 years of grocery habits through the lens of trends from the past year that are shaping the future of online grocery shopping. The report combines an in-depth look at data from Instacart along with insights from a new Instacart survey of 2,038 U.S. adults conducted recently online by The Harris Poll.

"More than a year of pandemic living has dramatically reshaped how American households shop for groceries and other household essentials," said Laurentia Romaniuk, Instacart's Trends Expert and Senior Product Manager. "As we analyzed twelve months of data from Instacart, we discovered that...

Albertsons Companies and Google Partner to Reinvent the Future of Grocery Shopping

Albertsons Companies and Google announced a multi-year partnership to make shopping easier and more convenient for millions of customers nationwide. The partnership brings together the power of Albertsons Cos.’ broad reach across 2,253 neighborhoods with Google’s capabilities in customer-centric innovation, creating a formidable nexus of retail savvy and trend-setting technology on a massive, omnichannel scale.

Google and Albertsons Cos. have been collaborating behind the scenes for the past year and, as part of the partnership announcement, are debuting several new enhancements that will make the shopping experience easier and more exciting. Albertsons Cos. has engaged with numerous teams at Google, covering a wide range of technologies and...

Albertsons Launches Pilot of Remote-Controlled Delivery Cart in Northern California

Albertsons Companies announced that it has partnered with Tortoise, an automated logistics company focused on last-mile solutions, to pilot its remote-controlled zero-emission delivery cart in Northern California.

“Our team is obsessed with trying new and disruptive technologies that can bring more convenience for our customers,” said Chris Rupp, EVP and Chief Customer and Digital Officer. “We are willing to quickly test, learn, and implement winning innovations that ensure we are offering the easiest and most convenient shopping experience in the entire industry.”

The Safeway cart, powered by Tortoise, is equipped with a camera and a speaker and is guided through the neighborhood by...

Three Quarters of Brits Would Shop At an Amazon Grocery Store 

With the first Amazon grocery store now open in Britain, latest research from Mintel reveals that three quarters (76%) of Brits say they would shop at one.

When asked what would encourage them to shop at a physical Amazon grocery store, almost two thirds (63%) of consumers said they would be attracted to discounts for Prime membership. Meanwhile, a quarter (24%) would like the opportunity to be able to collect online orders. Overall attraction in shopping at these physical stores was higher among younger shoppers, with...

Walmart Drops $35 Minimum for Express Delivery

Walmart is making it easier for customers to get the items they want at the lightning-fast speed they may need them. Beginning today, the retailer is removing the $35 minimum order requirement for Express delivery.

Express delivery allows customers to order items from Walmart’s food, consumables and general merchandise assortment such as produce, pantry staples, everyday essentials, toys and electronics. It relies on the retailer’s team of 170,000 trained personal shoppers who pick customers’ orders. Like Walmart’s pickup and delivery service, there is no markup on items – an item is priced the same as it is on the shelf. Express delivery costs...

BJ’s Wholesale Club Introduces New App Features for Seamless Shopping 

BJ’s Wholesale Club announced that the company is making it easier for members to seamlessly shop and save by launching new features on the BJ’s app.

The BJ’s app includes a refreshed homepage where members can now easily reorder their favorite items, quickly clip digital coupons and conveniently shop using digital services, such as same-day delivery, buy online, pick up in-club and curbside pickup.

“The BJ’s app is the easiest way to get the most out of your BJ’s membership, from...

ALDI Continues Nationwide Expansion with 100 New Stores in 2021

ALDI continues coast-to-coast expansion with new stores, its 26th regional headquarters and distribution center and expanded eCommerce offerings. The retailer announced that it will open approximately 100 new locations nationwide in 2021, with a focus on Arizona, California, Florida and the Northeast.

As part of its continued mission to offer customers convenience in how and when they shop, ALDI will further expand its eCommerce offering throughout 2021. The company will add...

Instacart and Family Dollar Partner to Launch National Same-Day Delivery

Instacart, a leading online grocery platform in North America, announced a new national partnership with Family Dollar to deliver from more than 6,000 stores across the U.S. With this new partnership, customers now have access to same-day delivery of Family Dollar's broad and affordable selection of household goods, pantry and baby essentials, electronics, office and school supplies, personal care items, and more in as fast as an hour. This expansion builds on the companies' successful 275-store pilot that initially launched in late-2020.

Customers rely on Instacart to get all the groceries and goods they need delivered to their door safely and conveniently. Whether stocking up the fridge or pantry, enhancing...

Chicory Survey Reveals That Over 50% of Consumers Place an Online Grocery Order Once a Week or More

Today, Chicory, the leading digital shopper marketing platform for CPG and grocery companies, released the results of a new national grocery consumer research study, Online Grocery Usership Changes Year Over Year. The results of this fifth quarterly consumer survey quantify the impact of COVID-19 on online grocery usage by comparing current 2021 results to past quarterly studies throughout 2020. For an infographic of the high-level data captured from this survey, please visit this link...

Walmart and HomeValet Pilot Smart Box Technology to Receive Fresh Deliveries

When Walmart launched its grocery delivery service in 2018, the company did it for one reason – customers wanted it. Since then, it’s been a lifesaver for busy families. They can simply shop their local store from anywhere and schedule a time to have it delivered right to their front door. It’s incredibly convenient.

But as Walmart's founder, Sam Walton, once said, “To succeed, stay out in front of change.” It’s why Walmart is continuously testing new technology, like drones and autonomous vehicles, to find new ways to serve customers. "Which made us think – what if we could...

FreshDirect Reveals Top Food Trends for 2021; Online Grocery and Home Cooking Boom to Continue

FreshDirect, a leading pure-play online fresh food grocer serving the Northeast, announced its top food trends for 2021. This year’s predictions were curated by FreshDirect’s in-house team of food experts. As food retailers at the forefront of the industry, FreshDirect has a unique and early view of cutting-edge grocery, ecommerce, and customer trends.

“As a leading online grocer, we have a unique and unmatched ability to understand the ever-changing buying habits of our customers. Our view on past orders, as well as those placed in the future, allows us to spot changes in trends quickly and react to them in real-time. The rapid increase in demand for online grocery and the boom in...

Instacart Announces Finance Industry Veteran Nick Giovanni is Joining the Company as CFO

Instacart, the leading online grocery platform in North America, announced it has appointed Nick Giovanni as Chief Financial Officer, effective January 27, 2021. Giovanni will oversee finance, accounting and corporate development for the Company, and will report directly to Founder and Chief Executive Officer Apoorva Mehta. Giovanni will succeed current CFO Sagar Sanghvi and the two will be partnering together to ensure a seamless transition.

"We want to thank Sagar for all of his contributions to Instacart over the last five years. During his time at the company, Sagar helped us navigate some of our biggest business milestones while...

Mercato Hires Jean-Michel Boujon as Chief Marketing Officer

Mercato, the online grocery eCommerce platform for independently owned grocery and specialty food stores, announced that it has hired Jean-Michel Boujon to be its Chief Marketing Officer. Boujon will direct all efforts associated with Mercato's brand, user acquisition, and lifecycle marketing. In addition, he will seek to advance the trend of consumers choosing to source their groceries from independent, locally-owned retailers.

"I am thrilled to announce that Jean-Michel has joined Mercato and to have him apply his talents to our company at such an important moment of our growth phase," said Bobby Brannigan, founder and CEO of Mercato. "He has a proven ability to...

Kroger Shares Top 10 Trending Foods of 2020 

The Kroger Co. announced the top 10 trending foods of 2020, as well as its food trend predictions for 2021.

Based on year-over-year sales growth across Kroger's business, including nearly 2,800 retail stores and pickup, delivery and ship, the trending foods and beverages of 2020 included:

1. Zero-Calorie Soft Drinks
2. Four-Cheese Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese
3. Flavored...

2021 Food Label Trends Deliver Safety and Security for Consumers and Retailers

As U.S. consumers turned to takeout, food delivery and online grocery shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic, food and beverage labeling took on fresh importance. Citing a 15-20% increase in grocery industry sales this year, and e-commerce sales up 43%, sustainable label leader UPM Raflatac found its grocery and restaurant delivery customers want to provide an increasingly safe experience with labels that provide visible safeguards for human health and protections for the environment.

"We knew packaging needs would change for our food industry customers given the COVID-19 shopping impact, and we are encouraged to see...

Uber Completes Acquisition of Postmates

Uber Technologies, Inc. announced that it has completed the acquisition of Postmates Inc. in an all-stock transaction, and that the two companies have begun the process of integrating U.S. operations.

As previously announced, the transaction brings together Uber’s global Mobility and Delivery platform with Postmates’ beloved business in the U.S. to strengthen the delivery of food, groceries, essentials, and other goods. The consumer-facing Postmates and Uber Eats apps will continue to run separately, supported by...

Retailers Prepare for Thanksgiving and Unprecedented Holiday Shopping Season 

As consumers prepare for smaller gatherings at Thanksgiving and an unusual holiday season, retailers are providing increased safety and convenience measures to offer an ideal shopping experience. 

For example, Meijer is encouraging customers to shop in whatever way fits their lives, offering delivery services and free pickup on orders over $50 online. The retailer is also adding more available time slots for pickup. Stores will be rolling out new hand sanitizer stations over the course of the holiday season and will install eight stations near high-traffic travel paths including entrances, pharmacies, produce areas, and check lanes. Meijer announced it will be extending...

Instacart and ALDI Announce New Pilot For EBT SNAP Online Payment

Instacart announced its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT SNAP) integration in partnership with ALDI. For the first time, EBT SNAP participants will be able to access fresh food and pantry staples from ALDI via Instacart's same-day delivery and pickup services. The multi-phased launch will begin in Georgia in the coming weeks across more than 60 ALDI stores, with anticipated plans to expand to more than 570 stores across Illinois, California, Florida and Pennsylvania in the coming months.

The introduction of Instacart's EBT SNAP payments comes at a time when food insecurity in the U.S. has compounded as the nation continues to be impacted by COVID-19. According to Feeding America, due to the effects of the pandemic, more than 54 million people may experience...

Instacart Appoints Two New Executives To Leadership Team

Instacart, the North American leader in online grocery delivery, today announced the addition of two new executives to its leadership team. Experienced human resources executive and people leader Christina Hall has joined Instacart as the company's first Chief Human Resources Officer. Additionally, as part of the company's continued investment in product development, Instacart has named Ariel Bardin as Senior Vice President of Product. These new leadership hires come as Instacart continues to build out its teams and scale to meet the increased consumer demand for its online grocery delivery and pickup services...

COVID-19 has Flipped the Value Proposition of Omnichannel Shopping for Constrained Consumers 

With few alternatives available during the widespread lockdowns earlier this year, e-commerce quickly became a go-to means-to-an-end for shop-needy consumers around the globe. Six months later, that early reliance on e-commerce has expanded into a fundamental dependence on still-evolving omnichannel shopping experiences.

The premise of omnichannel shopping certainly wasn’t borne out of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the global health crisis has dramatically elevated consumers’ use of both on- and offline channels in tandem, whether for click-and-collect, contactless delivery or an array of other fulfillment options. And across consumer groups, online channels have become the most critical shopping resources for...

Instacart Raises $200 Million in New Funding as Grocery Delivery, Pickup Booms During Pandemic

Grocery delivery service Instacart announced it has raised $200 million in funding led by existing investors Valiant Peregrine Fund and D1 Capital Partners.

2020 has been a strong year for the company, which has seen its valuation more than double since the year began as consumers have pivoted to online grocery shopping during the coronavirus pandemic.

According to CNBC, the company’s valuation jumped to $17.7 billion following the funding round, up from $7.9 billion when 2020 began. Instacart is now...

Kroger Testing Ghost Kitchens in Pair of Midwest Stores

Through a partnership with ghost kitchen start-up ClusterTruck, top U.S. retailer Kroger will debut a pair of delivery and pickup-only kitchens in two of its Kroger stores in Indianapolis, Indiana and Columbus, Ohio.

Kroger said it the kitchens will provide a variety of freshly prepared meals on-demand with no service or delivery fees.

The decision to create the on-site kitchens stems from a pilot launched in December of 2019 in Carmel, Indiana and the aforementioned cities. Still, the pilot was an off-premises concept, the new kitchens will be about 1,000 square feet of culinary space...

Walmart Now Piloting On-Demand Drone Delivery

Walmart's latest initiative has the company exploring how drones can deliver items in a way that is convenient, safe, and fast. Walmart is taking the next step in the exploration of on-demand delivery by announcing a new pilot with Flytrex, an end-to-end drone delivery company.

The pilot is launching in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and focuses on delivering select grocery and household essential items from Walmart stores using Flytrex's automated drones. The drones, which are controlled over the cloud using a smart and easy control dashboard, will help...

Retailer Introduces ‘Dark Store’ Focusing Solely on Online Grocery Shopping

Whole Foods is launching its first ‘dark store’ a facility that will solely operate to fulfill the Amazon-owned grocer’s online orders.

The store will not be open to the public, so customers cannot stroll in like a traditional grocery store. This new experiment follows the COVID-19 pandemic where online grocery ordering witnessed a significant uptick as customers were unwilling to risk a trip to pick up food.

According to USA TODAY, the new concept was in the works pre-COVID...

Kroger Ship to Integrate a Marketplace this Fall

The Kroger Co. announced Kroger Ship will expand to offer an extended ship-to-home assortment through a marketplace offering of third-party sellers powered by Mirakl, the leading software platform enabling B2C and B2B digital marketplaces.

"Our customers are increasingly turning to our e-commerce solutions provided at Kroger.com for their grocery and household essential needs. To better serve our customers, we're continuing to invest in technology that enables us to expand our digital services to deliver anything, anytime, anywhere," said Jody Kalmbach, Kroger's group vice president of product experience. "Leveraging Mirakl's best-in-class marketplace solution, we are...

Target Enhances Online Grocery Pickup Service

Target’s making it easier than ever for consumers to get what they need to enjoy the season. Starting this week, consumers can shop fresh and frozen grocery items via Target's Order Pickup and Drive Up services at more than 400 stores.

“When it comes to safe, fast and easy shopping, Target leads the way,” says Dawn Block, senior vice president, digital, Target. “By expanding our Order Pickup and Drive Up assortment to include fresh and frozen grocery items, we’re making the Target Run even easier—ensuring that guests can get everything they need, using the fast, convenient services they already love.”

Select stores in Illinois, Ohio, Colorado, Utah, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky and Kansas now offer the enhanced service, where guests can shop 750 items across...

Uber Unveils Grocery Delivery

Uber Technologies, Inc. announced that users in select Latin American and Canadian cities can now order groceries through the Uber and Uber Eats apps, in partnership with Cornershop, the popular grocery delivery startup based in Santiago, Chile. This follows the companies’ 2019 agreement for Uber to acquire a majority stake in Cornershop, which is expected to close in the coming days. Today’s news marks Uber and Cornershop’s first integrated grocery delivery experience.

Uber connects people and communities with the tap of a button, including rides, prepared food, retail goods—and now groceries. Starting today, shoppers in select cities in Latin America, Canada and coming later this month, the United States, can find grocery delivery opportunities through both Uber and Uber Eats apps, furthering Uber’s vision of bringing people closer to...