Brookshire extends online grocery reach

More Brookshire Grocery Co. stores are in line for online grocery service following a recent expansion that has brought curbside pickup and home delivery to more than half of the chain’s locations.

The Tyler, Texas-based regional grocer has now rolled out its Brookshire’s Curbside service to 99 stores, including 62 Brookshire’s Food & Pharmacy and 35 Super 1 Foods locations as well as the single Fresh by Brookshire’s store.

“We are excited to offer curbside service in the vast majority of Brookshire’s and Super 1 Foods stores and will continue evaluating other locations as potential future sites,” said Ellen Reynolds, director of corporate communications for Brookshire, which has more than 180 stores in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, including under the Spring Market banner.

Brookshire began piloting curbside service, powered by Mercatus, at the Fresh by Brookshire’s location in Tyler in late 2017 before expanding it to Super 1 Foods stores last summer and Brookshire’s Food & Pharmacy locations starting in late 2018.

For online grocery delivery, Brookshire partners with Instacart and now provides the service in 109 Brookshire’s and Super 1 Foods stores since launching it last May.

“Our plans are to expand to additional locations in the coming weeks and more in the future as Instacart becomes available in other market areas,” Reynolds said.

Related:Brookshire acquiring eight Winn-Dixie stores

Helping to fuel the expansion is strong customer feedback. “The response to our curbside pickup and home delivery services has been extremely positive with customers, especially moms who rely on us to provide convenience, value and the experiences they have come to know and love at our stores,” according to Reynolds.

Through the platform from Toronto-based Mercatus, Brookshire customers can order, pay and schedule pickup times at designated stores using banner-specific websites and mobile apps. Personal shoppers at the stores pick and pack the orders — including following any special instructions — and then text or call customers with any questions about their selections and to alert them when their order is ready for pickup. Upon arrival at the store, customers park in designated spaces, and their order is brought to their car.

“We are focused on creating and delivering exceptional experiences and value for our customers,” said John D’Anna, chief strategy officer at Brookshire, said in a statement. “This commitment is reflected in the newly enhanced online and in-store shopping experiences we’re proud to offer customers across all of our banners, and we are excited to have introduced Curbside in the majority of our locations.”