SAN FRANCISCO — Instacart, the same-day delivery service that uses a fleet of freelance shoppers to pick up and deliver items from local supermarkets to consumers, has expanded from its home base here to Chicago, the company said Tuesday.
The service has launched in 13 Chicago neighborhoods offering groceries from Trader Joe’s. In the coming weeks, Instacart said it expants to also offer groceries from Safeway’s Dominick’s banner, Costco Wholesale and Whole Foods Market — the same companies Instacart sources from in California.
Chicago is the home market of Ahold-owned Peapod, one of the pioneers of online grocery. It is the first of 10 major cities Instacart plans to expand into by the end of 2014, the company said. It recently received $8.5 million in funding from Sequoia Capital and others to assist in its geographic expansion.
“We look for urban areas with tech-savvy consumers who may not have cars and value convenience,” said Apoorva Mehta, chief executive and founder of Instacart. “Chicago fit the bill. We’re really excited to expand our footprint beyond San Francisco. There’s a lot more to come.”
The first 13 Chicago neighborhoods where Instacart is available are: Lake View, Lincoln Park, Logan Square, West Town, Near West Side, Lower West Side, Near North Side, Loop, Near South Side; plus portions of Douglas, Bridgeport, Amour Square and McKinley Park.
Read More: Same-Day Delivery Start-Ups Prepare for AmazonFresh
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