Instacart's new delivery service caters to businesses

Same-day delivery company Instacart fulfills millions of orders every financial quarter from those using business credit cards, prompting the company to launch a service that caters to the needs of businesses. 

Called Instacart Business, the new service aims to capture orders from businesses eager to avoid delivery fees and the cost of sending their own employees to purchase supplies. Instacart Business users have access to more than 1.5 million products available on the platform from partners such as Costco Business Center, Staples, BJ’s Wholesale Club and others. 

The service also enables customers to create virtual shopping lists to which members of the business can add, reordering capabilities and flexible delivery options, including long-distance and no-rush discount delivery, among others. 

“From stocking up on snacks in the office break room to getting last-minute supplies delivered to a family-owned restaurant, our affordable, convenient and flexible marketplace connects thousands of retailers to businesses nationwide, but with some new features tailor-made for this important community,” Instacart COO Asha Sharma said in a statement. ”This is just the first step, and we're excited to support local businesses with even more solutions over the long-term that improve their operations and ultimately help them get back to business." 

Instacart Business users can also buy credits that can be distributed to others on their team to purchase supplies. The company noted in the announcement that it partners with more than 1,100 national, regional and local retailers and provides delivery from more than 80,000 stores.  

According to Ory Adler, Staples US Retail’s vice president of digital & loyalty, the new service will save business owners time and money. "Staples is thrilled to be a part of the launch of Instacart Business," he stated. "We know that every minute of a small business owner's day is critical, and with Instacart Business they now have easy, same-day delivery access to our extensive Staples product assortment and print services, saving them valuable time to focus on their business." 

The business service comes at a challenging time for Instacart, which has lost nearly three-quarters of its value since last spring, when the company valuation was around $39 billion. The current internal valuation stands at about $10 billion, according to media reports.  

Recently, Instacart also has been dropped from some grocers, such as Heinen’s, which announced in mid-February that it would begin relying on its own associates to fulfill online and delivery orders.