AUSTIN, Texas (April 30, 2015) – An estimated 54 million American households will purchase flowers or plants for Mother’s Day* so Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM) and Instacart are making it more convenient by delivering flowers in as little as one hour across 15 major US metros, along with a selection of thoughtful gifts for moms. Through an exclusive partnership, the two companies are offering a more convenient and affordable alternative to traditional floral delivery, including blooms that have higher standards like Whole Trade® or Responsibly Grown ratings.
Between May 1 and 10, customers can log onto Instacart.com or the Instacart mobile app on iOS or Android devices and choose from two Whole Foods Market bouquet options, then use the “notes” feature to specify their preferred color** and what they would like to say on a handwritten card. Customers can also choose a delivery window of within one hour, within two hours or at a scheduled time. Orders can be placed up to six days in advance.
The bouquet options available on Instacart from Whole Foods Market are a dozen Whole Trade® roses in assorted colors for $29.99, or 20-stem tulips in various colors for $24.99. Delivery fees start at $3.99, but are free for first-time Instacart users. Each bouquet will come wrapped in festive paper.
Unlike traditional floral-only delivery options, customers can use Instacart’s Mother’s Day “aisle” to also purchase teas, chocolates, candles, body care items or even ingredients to cook mom breakfast, all curated by Whole Foods Market experts and available for delivery with the bouquet. Instacart’s database of recipes from Whole Foods Market recipes come with automated shopping lists to add ingredients to the online cart.
In addition to added convenience, this partnership offers customers responsibly sourced floral choices. All rose bouquets are backed by Whole Foods Market’s Whole Trade Guarantee, a certification-partnership program that helps ensure better wages and working conditions for farm workers, fair prices to producers and supports community improvement programs in areas where the roses are produced. Most roses and tulips** offered are rated under Whole Foods Market’s new Responsibly Grown program, which means they come from farms that are taking major steps to protect human health and the environment.
“After seeing how much customers loved our Valentine’s Day floral delivery with Instacart, we’re now excited to offer a convenient, affordable way to celebrate moms everywhere with Whole Trade flowers that give back to women and communities around the globe,” said David Lannon, executive vice president of operations for Whole Foods Market. “In keeping with our mission to delight shoppers, we also think customers will love ordering with Instacart’s automated shopping lists for brunch recipes, or finding mom a new favorite candle, all in a format that fits their schedule.”
“Creative, value-driven solutions like this are a perfect example of how Instacart and Whole Foods Market work together to serve our customers with convenience and quality,” said Apoorva Mehta, CEO and founder of Instacart. “It’s rewarding to see how our technology combined with Whole Foods Market’s great product selection can make it easier to create memories with mom.”
Instacart delivery from Whole Foods Market is currently available in stores across 15 markets: Atlanta; Austin; Boulder; Boston; Chicago; Denver; Houston; Los Angeles; New York City; Philadelphia; Portland, OR; San Francisco; San Jose; Seattle and Washington, DC.
*According to Prince & Prince, Inc., a market research group for the floral and green plant industry, as published in Perishable News
** Flower colors are subject to availability on the day of delivery.
*** The Responsibly Grown program is still rolling out across Whole Food Market stores nationwide. While all flowers are not yet rated, shoppers will find plenty of “GOOD”, “BETTER” or “BEST” rated options to choose from.
