AUSTIN, Texas (Sept. 8, 2014) – Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM) and one-hour grocery delivery service Instacart announced today a new partnership that enables customers to have Whole Foods Market products delivered in as little as one hour. Customers will soon also have the convenient option to place orders via Instacart and pick up their order at a local participating Whole Foods Market store.
The two companies will pilot the in-store pickup option at select Austin and Boston stores in the next month. Instacart delivers from Whole Foods Market in all of the 15 cities it currently serves: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Boulder, Colorado, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, Oregon, San Francisco, San Jose, California, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. In the coming months, Instacart and Whole Foods Market expect to expand the in-store pickup option to all of the cities Instacart serves.
Through its partnership with Instacart, Whole Foods Market can offer its customers the convenience of delivery without having to handle the logistics themselves.
“Instacart makes it extremely easy for our customers to buy Whole Foods Market products from 15 cities and have them quickly delivered—whether buying fresh ingredients for dinner tonight or sending healthy foods to loved ones in another city,” said Walter Robb, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market. “We are thrilled to add this additional convenience for our customers.”
Instacart and Whole Foods Market expect to build on this foundation of services in the coming months to create more solutions for simple, convenient online grocery shopping, delivery and pickup.
“Instacart and Whole Foods Market are two companies that share a common vision to create great grocery shopping experiences,” said Apoorva Mehta, CEO and founder of Instacart. “Whole Foods Market is our most requested shopping destination, and we’re happy to be working together to create a seamless, quick option for customers with busy lifestyles.”
By ordering at Instacart.com or via the Instacart mobile app, Whole Foods Market customers simply select their zip code, add items to a virtual cart, and then choose a delivery window (within one hour, within two hours, or at a scheduled time) and check out. Instacart Personal Shoppers confirm incoming orders on their smartphones, shop for the items at Whole Foods Market stores, and then deliver orders to customers in the designated delivery timeframe.
Whole Foods Market will be the first national Instacart partner to offer convenient in-store pickup. Whole Foods Market customers will use the Instacart website or app to order and instead of specifying home delivery times, they will be able to select in-store pickup.
Via Instacart, Whole Foods Market customers can save grocery lists for fast, easy shopping and automated ordering of regularly purchased products. Instacart also offers a Whole Foods Market recipe database and other great sources with the ability to auto-generate grocery lists for those dishes for Whole Foods Market customers.
To celebrate the partnership, Instacart and Whole Foods Market are offering shoppers the chance to win free groceries for one year. Customers will receive hidden game pieces in Instacart delivery bags beginning Sept. 12, with five chances to win. For complete details visit https://wfm.com/instacartgiveaway.
All Instacart customers receive free delivery on their first order; thereafter the cost is just $3.99 for two-hour delivery or $5.99 for one-hour delivery. Customers can also purchase a $99 annual Instacart Express membership and receive free delivery on any order over $35.
