Grocery Outlet to Try Out E-Commerce with Instacart

Grocery Outlet is wading into the e-commerce waters with the announcement that it will offer same-day delivery from dozens of stores in California through a pilot program in partnership with Instacart. 

Emeryville, Calif.-based Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. said in a news release Thursday that 68 California stores will offer online ordering through the six-month trial with the company's Bay Area neighbor. Customers can order at www.instacart.com/grocery-outlet or select the Grocery Outlet storefront on Instacart's app. 

"The pandemic has changed the retail experience and how people shop—advancing ecommerce by a decade in just a year and a half,” Grocery Outlet CEO Eric Lindberg said in the release. “We think it’s important to make our great-value products available across another platform and to a greater audience, introducing Grocery Outlet to customers who may not have shopped with us before."

Online ordering and same-day delivery of daily essentials and staples will allow customers "to get what they need delivered quickly and affordably while also maintaining the unique in-store treasure-hunt experience," Grocery Outlet stated. Re-creating and reimagining that thrill-of-the-bargain-hunt experience for online audiences has been a growing focus for discounters, with 99 Cents Only Stores last week announcing it was taking its trial partnership with Instacart nationwide and Dollar General offering online ordering for pickup through its DG Pickup service as well as through its nonconsumables-focused Popshelf concept.

"For 75 years, customers have relied on Grocery Outlet to feed their families, and we’re proud to now partner with them to bring their incredible brand online for the first time ever," new Instacart President Carolyn Everson said. "Customers can now have Grocery Outlet’s unparalleled selection of affordable groceries and pantry staples delivered from the store to their door in as fast as an hour."

Grocery Outlet operates more than 400 stores in Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Idaho and Nevada.