Instacart adds Metro, Galleria and more to build momentum as pandemic fades

The California-based company says growth potential in the e-grocery space is "staring us in the face"

The Canadian Press with files from Canadian Grocer

Grocerydelivery startupInstacartis adding more Canadian stores to its app as it expands despite mounting competition, rising inflation and easing demand.

The San Francisco-based company said Tuesday it had partnered with more than 10 new companies in Canada includingMetro Inc.,GalleriaSupermarketandGiant Tiger, and local players such asNature's EmporiumandSuper Natural Market. (Instacart already countsCostco,LoblawsandWalmartamong its partners.)

"At Instacart, we're proud to deepen our presence acrossCanadaand serve as a retail enablement platform for key retailers countrywide, from the largest grocers to small businesses and local favourites," saidChris Rogers, Instacart's VP of retail, in a press release.

"We'll continue to increase our footprint acrossCanadaand create the best online grocery shopping experience possible for both our retail partners and customers," he continued.

Instacart became a major player in thegroceryindustry during the pandemic. Public health measures intended tocurb the spread of COVID-19 accelerated the move to onlinegroceryand powered Instacart's rapid growth.

While the meteoric growth of onlinegroceryorders has slowed as restrictions ease, Instacart CEOFidji Simosaid the market was still ripe for further expansion.

"Online penetration for every other category of retail is about 30%," she said. "Groceryis still at 10% ... the growth potential is staring us in the face."

The company is now offering budget friendly alternatives to same-day delivery, including next-day delivery and pickup options, she said. "It's actually really important for us thatgrocerydelivery isn't seen as a luxury."

Thegrocerydelivery app allows customers to ordergroceriesand other items from retail stores through its app. It then uses independent contractors, which it calls shoppers, to gather and deliver orders. The gig worker model has drawn criticism from labour advocates who have accused the company of inadequate pay rates and poor working conditions.

instacart also has part-time hourly workers that shop in stores, but don't deliver orders.

The company, which makes money by charging fees to customers andgrocers, is also expanding the services it offers directly to retailers to help them improve both their in-store and online technology.

The Instacart Platform offers the technology the company developed for its own marketplace, including its ad platform, personalization and merchandising, and offers it directly togrocersto apply to their own onlinegroceryservices.

"Our goal is to grow retailers' businesses,'' Simo said, adding that Instacart's technology can propel the "digital transformation" of the legacy brick-and-mortargrocerystores.

One of the first transactions Simo announced after taking over as CEO of Instacart last summer was the acquisition ofCaper AI, a smart cart and smart checkout technology company.

The artificial intelligence-powered shopping carts are already in use in someSobeysgrocerystores.

Meanwhile, Instacart is also growing into so-calledgroceryadjacent categories with the addition of a pet shop and sports nutrition store, as well as multiple smaller businesses.

"It really rounds out the selection," Simon said. "We want to have the largest selection possible available to Canadians."

Adapted from:

Brown, David. "Instacart brings Ad Service to Canada"canadiangrocer.com. EnsembleIQ, May 25, 2022.

What targeting strategy has Instacart chosen? What advantages does this choice provide to Instacart?