Food Lion, Instacart in delivery deal in Charlotte

Delhaize's Food Lion chain said Thursday that it was piloting a partnership with Internet shopping service Instacart to receive and deliver grocery orders in the Charlotte, N.C. market.

The agreement is the first between the companies and represents Salisbury, N.C.-based Food Lion's debut of Internet home delivery.

"As part of our ongoing commitment to making grocery shopping easy, Food Lion is proud to partner with Instacart in the Charlotte market," Keith Nicks, VP of customer engagement at Food Lion, said in a statement. "Through Instacart's speedy delivery service, our customers can enjoy fresh, quality groceries at the affordable prices they expect from Food Lion, now at the convenience of their doorstep."

Shoppers in the delivery area, which include the Charlotte, N.C., zip codes of 28202, 28203, 28204, 28205, 28207, 28209, 28210 and 28211, can shop using Food Lion's website at www.foodlion.com/homedelivery or the Instacart app.

Additionally, by linking their personal MVP cards to their Instacart accounts, Food Lion customers can continue to take advantage of Food Lion's weekly savings specials, including MVP discounts. Food Lion customers using Instacart for the first time will receive their first home delivery fee for free.

Instacart allows people to order groceries online by connecting them with personal shoppers who hand pick and deliver items from local stores. Founded in San Francisco in 2012, Instacart operates in 22 metropolitan areas across the U.S. and partnered with dozens of retailers.