Instacart has introduced four new Instacart Platform technologies designed to help grocers improve their online offering and in-store experiences.
The company announced that the new capabilities had already been made available to grocers across North America, including display ads for extra revenue streams, digital ordering for items sold by weight, remote management and integrated fulfillment.
One of the key additions can be found on FoodStorm, Instacart’s order management system, which now supports items sold by weight including all fresh food and prepared items typically found at deli and meat counters. Instacart said this will allow grocers to offer digital ordering, pickup and delivery of their deli and meat departments through a single, al-in-one platform.
“With the addition of the weighted item functionality, we are able to move our holiday meal ordering to FoodStorm’s OMS,” said Erica Racette, E-Commerce Director at New Seasons Market, a privately owned grocery chain that operates in certain parts of the US.
She added, “As customers are increasingly turning to our stores for easy meals and prepared foods, it’s important that we have the right technology and infrastructure in place to manage this complex, fresh food ordering process.”
Among the other highlights is Instacart’s AI-powered Smart Carts system, Caper Carts. This can now be managed remotely in real-time via tablet, giving retailers a bird’s-eye view of their stores. Through this, Instacart said they can see how many carts are being used, what types of items are being shopped, and to flag issues for audit at any time.
The latest launches come as retailers and grocers seek to provide shoppers with a more personalized, interactive experience. Instacart previously introduced its new Caper Cart system to allow shoppers sync their grocery list to a touchscreen on the cart. From there, the cart informs customers where to find their items and checks them off the list as they’re placed in the cart.
“Grocers are central to their communities – they help us put food on the table, create local jobs and connect us with our neighbors. At Instacart, we want to enable grocers of all sizes to grow, thrive and serve their customers, no matter how they choose to shop,” said Chris Rogers, Chief Business Officer, Instacart.
“We’re proud to continue to expand the Instacart Platform to offer grocers new tools and technologies that help them evolve their online offering, create connected in-store experiences and develop an omnichannel strategy that supports the unique needs of their business and their customers,” he added.
