SAN FRANCISCO—Instacart and Publix have teamed up to offer Publix Quick Picks—a virtual convenience offering that allows customers to shop from Publix and get their items delivered in as fast as 30 minutes with Instacart Priority Delivery, according to a news release.
Other grocers, as well as Dollar Tree, are partnering with Instacart for quick delivery, creating more competition with convenience retailers for the share of budget-conscious shoppers’ wallets when it comes to beverages, snacks and grocery staples. The Publix partnership also supports EBT SNAP payment integration across all Publix e-commerce properties powered by Instacart.
“Customer demand for convenience and rapid delivery continues to grow, and both speed and selection have become fundamental to grocery e-commerce. We’re proud to expand our partnership with Publix to bring the in-store express lane online with Publix Quick Picks, offering customers incredible choice paired with fast delivery to meet all of their last-minute needs through this busy holiday season and beyond,” said Chris Rogers, vice president of retail at Instacart.
Publix Quick Picks is available on Instacart’s Convenience Hub, which is a new product experience that streamlines convenience shopping for customers. Through the Convenience Hub, customers in nearly every major U.S. city can shop for convenience essentials 24 hours a day, seven days a week with free priority delivery in 30 minutes for Instacart Express members on orders over $10.
Convenience item delivery is growing at a quick pace, says Instacart CEO Fidji Simo. Nearly 20% of Instacart customers are paying more for faster delivery, though delays remain possible. The company said it would give priority to 30-minute deliveries to meet demand, according to the Wall Street Journal. Convenience continues to be one of the most popular categories on Instacart, with orders up more than 150% since May 2021.
In September, Kroger partnered with Instacart on the same service, dubbed “Kroger Delivery Now.” Giant Co. and its Martin’s brand also have teamed up with Instacart for the service for its customers in the Mid-Atlantic.
Earlier this week, Dollar Tree announced same-day delivery in a quick as an hour from about 7,000 Dollar Tree stores through a partnership with Instacart. Instacart and Dollar Tree first partnered to launch same-day delivery from Family Dollar in November 2020. Following a successful pilot, the companies expanded the partnership to more than 6,000 Family Dollar stores in January and began testing same-day delivery from Dollar Tree in August. Now including this Dollar Tree expansion, the companies now offer same-day delivery in as fast as one hour from nearly 13,000 Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores across 48 states and Washington D.C.
Convenience stores face a dilemma when decided whether or not to offer delivery services to their customers. NACS Magazine explored the trade-offs between own-staff versus third party in the mobile order and delivery landscape.