Instacart ramps up alcohol delivery

Following a gradual rollout, Instacart has expanded same-day delivery of alcohol through grocery retailers and liquor and beverage stores in 14 states and the District of Columbia.

Instacart said Tuesday that customers can now have beer, wine or spirits delivered in as soon as an hour from supermarket chains such as Albertsons, Kroger, Publix, Schnucks and Stater Bros. as well as specialty stores like BevMo!, Binny’s Beverage Depot and Total Wine & More in select locations.

The San Francisco-based online grocery provider originally began alcohol delivery with a small number of retail partners but noted that it has expanded the service substantially over the past year.

Instacart alcohol delivery is now offered in the states of California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and Washington, along with Washington, D.C. The company said it will launch alcohol delivery in more states, where permitted.

With the expansion, alcohol delivery via Instacart now reaches more than 40 million households nationwide and is available from almost a third of Instacart’s 300-plus retail partners.

“Part of grocery shopping for many people goes beyond getting fresh produce, meats and pantry staples and includes picking up the perfect bottle of wine for a dinner party or their favorite beer to sip while watching the big game,” Nilam Ganenthiran, chief business officer at Instacart, said in a statement. “By working alongside our retail partners to add alcohol to the marketplace, we’re offering customers more choice and making it easier for Instacart to be their ‘one-stop shop’ to get the groceries they need — including beer, wine and spirits — from the retailers they love.”

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In states where alcohol delivery is enabled, Instacart customers also will now see a new in-app banner that facilitates shopping directly from beer, wine and spirit “aisles” of select retailers on the Instacart marketplace.

To buy alcohol through Instacart, shoppers go to Instacart.com or open the Instacart mobile app, select their city and store, and search for beer, wine or spirits to add to their online basket. For select retailers providing alcohol delivery, customers can visit specific beer, wine and spirit “aisles” straight from the retailer storefront on the Instacart website or mobile app. Customers ordering alcohol via Instacart must be age 21 or older and present a valid government ID upon delivery. 

“We couldn’t be more excited to work with Instacart’s extensive delivery network to create a fantastic customer experience,” said Jewel Hunt, group vice president of e-commerce at Albertsons Cos. “Now customers have the convenient option of rush delivery straight to their doorsteps for all of their grocery needs, from everyday essentials to fresh produce to that favorite bottle of wine for a special dinner.”

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Instacart said customers in Nebraska and Michigan can expect to have access to alcohol delivery through its marketplace in the coming months. In states where alcohol delivery is already offered on the marketplace, the company plans to work with current and new retail partners to add alcohol inventory to their Instacart storefront throughout the year.

“By partnering with Instacart, BevMo! is able to bring our customers a flexible and convenient way to have the drinks they love delivered directly to their door,” said Tamara Pattinson, chief marketing and information officer for BevMo!, which has 166 wine, beer and liquor stores in California, Arizona and Washington. “Instacart’s broad reach has enabled BevMo! to offer one-hour, same-day and next-day delivery to more customers than ever before.”