Instacart goes outside grocery again with Sephora partnership

Continuing its expansion beyond the grocery market, Instacart has partnered with Sephora to bring same-day delivery to most of the prestige beauty retailer’s more than 500 stores in the United States and Canada.

Instacart said Thursday that its online marketplace has begun offering an “expansive selection” of Sephora products — spanning cosmetics, skin care, hair care, fragrances, beauty tools and wellness items — at the same pricing as in the chain’s stores. Same-day delivery via Instacart, in as soon as an hour, is now available in selected Sephora stores in California and Canada and is slated to expand to more than 400 stores in the coming weeks. 

“Instacart has become part of the household rhythm for people across North America looking to have the groceries and goods they need delivered same-day from the retailers they know and love. For many people, the essentials they need go beyond fresh food and pantry staples and, over the last few years, we’ve seen an increase in customer demand for personal care, wellness and beauty products,” Chris Rogers, vice president of retail at Instacart, said in a statement. “Today, we”re excited to welcome Sephora to Instacart, delivering more selection to customers looking for a seamless, same-day shopping experience from their favorite beauty retailer.”

Related:Instacart enters convenience store arena with 7-Eleven partnership

To place Instacart delivery orders, Sephora customers go online to instacart.com/sephora in the U.S. or instacart.ca/sephora-canada in Canada or download and open the Instacart mobile app.

To get Instacart delivery, Sephora customers go online to instacart.com/sephora in the U.S. or instacart.ca/sephora-canada in Canada or open the Instacart mobile app, enter their ZIP code, select Sephora's storefront and begin shopping. Instacart personal shoppers pick, pack and deliver the order within the designated time frame, which can be on the same day or scheduled days in advance.

“We’re proud to bring Sephora's unrivaled product choice — from emerging brands to trusted favorites — their leading rewards program and inspiring shopping experience to the Instacart marketplace,” Rogers added. “Now, for the first time ever, customers across North America can get their makeup, skin care, wellness products and more delivered from the Sephora store to their door in as fast as an hour.”

Sephora is known not just for its breadth of upscale beauty brands but also its stores’ experiential shopping concept, which encourages customer engagement through sampling, test stations and beauty specialists throughout the store. As part of the partnership, Instacart said it has developed new product functionality that brings Sephora’s in-store experience to life on its online marketplace.

Instacart said its Sephora online marketplace is designed to reflect the chain's in-store experience, with tools such as a shade selector.

For example, the shopping design makes it easier for customers to browse and shop from Sephora’s 300-plus carefully curated brands and thousands of unique products and quickly find the right color via a new, one-click shade selector, according to Instacart. Sephora customers also can access promotions from its Beauty Insider loyalty program and earn points on Instacart orders. Beauty Insider members, too, can access special deals from Sephora’s Savings Events on Instacart.

Related:Walmart teaming with Instacart on same-day delivery pilot

“We’re thrilled to partner with Instacart and continue to provide an innovative and seamless shopping experience for our clients,” stated Carolyn Bojanowski, senior vice president and general manager of e-commerce at Sephora, whose U.S. headquarters is in New York. “We’re always looking for unique yet practical ways to meet our clients at every touchpoint and, now more than ever, we know they seek ease and convenience. With our Instacart partnership, we can offer a new same-day delivery service option to our existing clients and also introduce some of the benefits of being a Sephora client to Instacart’s marketplace.”

For San Francisco-based Instacart, the Sephora partnership marks a foray into specialty beauty retail and a further extension of its market base outside grocery. Earlier this month, Instacart delved into the convenience store arena through a same-day delivery deal with 7-Eleven.

Previously, Instacart entered markets such as off-price/closeout retail with Big Lots, office retail with Staples U.S. and Canada, vitamins and supplements retail with Vitamin Shoppe and prescription delivery with Costco Wholesale. Instacart also delivers household decor from Walmart, pet care supplies from Petco, and over-the-counter medicines and health care products from CVS Pharmacy and Rite Aid. And within the grocery space, Instacart has expanded to include delivery of alcohol, deli and meal orders, as well as on-demand delivery and other services for independent grocers via partnerships with C&S Wholesale Grocers and United Natural Foods Inc. (through the former Supervalu).

Since March, Instacart has launched or expanded with almost 150 retailers and introduced delivery at more than 8,000 stores. The company said it also has rolled out pickup service to over 1,500 stores in that time span.