LAKELAND – Ultra-fast 15 minute deliveries from Publix Nano-sized warehouse groceries will be available to online shoppers in Miami and Atlanta in the coming months, according to a press release from Instacart.
instacart already works as an e-commerce partner with Publix Super Markets Inc., offering next-day, same-day and 30-minute delivery options from its stores in the grocer’s seven states.
During the pandemic, online grocery ordering increased exponentially compared to pre-pandemic levels and has been declining for now as COVID-19 rates ease. Still, industry analysts say online shopping is expected to continue growing.
“Today, with the launch of the new Instacart platform, Instacart is enabling the digital transformation of grocers with a new suite of enterprise-class technologies to power the future of grocery business,” read Wednesday’s Instacart release.
Publix was among several grocery retailers across the United States to receive the technology improvements and increased delivery speed offered by San Francisco-based Instacart.
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With the Instacart platform, the company provides retailers with customer data that helps them improve their websites and retail stores. Consumers will notice the online promotion as well as the option of next day or as little as 15 minute delivery depending on availability.
In-store enhancements such as B. Non-scanning shopping carts are available if retailers so desire.
“The grocery industry is undergoing a digital transformation where customers expect a seamless experience across many channels, but behind the scenes it requires an incredible amount of work and investment for retailers to deliver these new services,” said Fidji Simo, CEO of Instacart .
According to an October report by Supermarket News, e-commerce is projected to account for 20% of the US grocery market by 2026.
“Grocery e-commerce sales are expected to account for 9.5% of total US grocery sales of $1.097 trillion this year (2021), up from 8.1% of $1.137 trillion in 2020,” reported the magazine, citing a report by online food specialist Mercatus.
According to Supermarket News, nearly 75% of online orders are for in-store pickup.
Later this year, Instacart will offer digital revenue sharing for ads placed on retailers’ existing websites and e-commerce platforms through Carrot Ads.
New nano-fulfillment centers called Carrot Warehouses would help retailers with their 15-minute deliveries by providing assistance with floor plans and automation systems. Some Carrot Warehouses will be standalone and operated and managed by Instacart, but others may be located within existing grocery stores. Publix nano bearings are not automated with robotics.
In contrast, Kroger Delivery in Groveland started delivering online orders to their homes last year. The automated warehouse features robotics, machine-learning artificial intelligence, and temperature-controlled van delivery. The facility, along with spokes in Tampa and Jacksonville, serves most of the northern half of the Florida peninsula.
Kroger has not announced a brick-and-mortar store in Florida under the Kroger brand, but plans to expand further into the Publix area of South Florida by 2023.
A new Kroger Delivery warehouse location has not been announced. Kroger Delivery is also expanding in the United States, including several states where Publix operates.
Also part of the Instacart platform is Carrot Insights, which provides retailers with real-time data to track orders and out-of-stock items on Instacart and retailers’ digital storefronts. The data collected can help retailers generate sales statistics based on location and identify customer purchasing trends.
“The Instacart platform further advances our omnichannel strategy, enabling curbside delivery and pickup in our stores,” said Maria Brous, communications director at Publix, in a prepared statement for Instacart.
“Our new NFCs, created using the Instacart platform, enable ultra-fast delivery in our major metro areas, allowing customers to get what they need in as little as 15 minutes,” said Brous. “We are committed to continuing to test and iterate on these new concepts as consumer needs evolve.”
Instacart works with more than 750 national, regional and local retailers to enable online grocery shopping, delivery and pickup from more than 70,000 stores in more than 5,500 cities across North America.
Instacart uses more than 600,000 Instacart buyers to pick, pack and deliver orders for customers on their own flexible schedule. The tech company recently introduced a fuel surcharge to help its gig workers afford skyrocketing gas prices.
Lakeland-based Publix is the world’s largest employee-owned company, according to its website. Publix employs more than 225,000 people throughout the Southeast and operates nearly 1,300 stores.
