Albertsons Provides Real-Time ‘Glympse’ of Online Grocery Orders

Albertsons Cos. is enhancing its e-commerce platform with location-sharing technology from Glympse that will give shoppers real-time status of their grocery delivery or Drive Up & Go order.

Albertsons customers can opt in to receive Glympse notifications via text or email when placing their order to receive key updates throughout the fulfillment process. Online delivery customers will receive a link to a live map of their delivery truck and exact time of delivery when their order is en route.

"We want to make our e-commerce experience as simple and transparent as possible,” said Narayan Iyengar, Albertsons’ SVP of digital and e-commerce, in a statement. “Our partnership with Glympse"—which is now available for delivery orders from Albertsons, Safeway, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Pavilions—"makes it even easier for customers to get their groceries however and whenever they want.”

Photograph courtesy of Albertsons

Glympse is not available on orders fulfilled by Instacart for Albertsons, which said it currently offers grocery delivery from about 2,000 stores in 11 of the top 15 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) in the United States via more than 1,000 home delivery trucks.

Albertsons Cos. will expand its alliance with Glympse with a pilot of new technology in select Drive Up & Go markets beginning this spring. The opt-in service will notify customers when their order is ready and invite them to share their location so the store can expedite their grocery order to their car exactly when they arrive.

Photograph courtesy of Albertsons

Drive Up & Go is available at more than 250 Albertsons locations, with plans for expansion of the service in 2019.

“Albertsons Cos. understands that convenience is a requirement for providing the highest level of customer service for their delivery and Drive Up & Go programs,” said Chris Ruff, president and CEO of Seattle-based Glympse. “We are excited to be working with Albertsons Cos. to help them expand their leadership in food and drug retail through our real-time location and customer engagement platform.”

Photograph courtesy of Albertsons

Albertsons Cos. Inc. operates stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under 20 banners, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs, along with New York-based meal kit company Plated.