Just six months in, Instacart Pickup is on a roll

Six months after the national launch of store pickup, Instacart has tripled the number of states and doubled the number of locations and retailers offering the service.

The San Francisco-based online grocery specialist said Thursday that Instacart Pickup is now available in more than 30 states via nearly 25 retail partners. The national rollout of the service began in November after positive customer feedback in months-long pilots with grocery chains.

More retailers are deploying the service each week, Instacart noted. So far this year, Instacart Pickup pilots and/or expansions have launched with such retailers as Albertsons Cos., Publix Super Markets, Food Lion and Sprouts Farmers Market. Instacart said it also has expanded to almost 100% coverage for pickup in key markets with regional grocers like Gelson’s Markets, Schnuck Markets and Tops Friendly Markets.

“We know there's an appetite for services like Instacart Pickup — the overall click-and-collect market is projected to be worth $35 billion in the U.S. by 2020 — and we're excited to continue to expand with new partners and store locations in the weeks and months ahead,” Andrew Nodes, vice president of retail accounts at Instacart, said in a statement.

Photo: Wegmans

For example, regional grocer Wegmans Food Markets is slated to make Instacart Pickup available from more than 90% of its nearly 100 stores by the end of the summer, Instacart said. The Rochester, N.Y.-based supermarket chain currently offers the service through more than 60% of its locations after piloting it in two stores last year.

Related:Wegmans begins rolling out Instacart curbside pickup

“It’s more important than ever that brick-and-mortar retailers meet the needs of their customers based on what best fits the rhythm of their lives,” according to Nodes. “Sometimes people want to shop in-store because of the ritual and inspiration they find walking through the aisles. Others like the convenience of delivery and ability to get their groceries whenever, wherever they want. For pickup, it’s an easy solution for on-the-go customers looking to get their groceries while they're on the move.”

So far, Instacart has seen some added benefits will the pickup rollout: a larger basket size and increased digital adoption for retailers. According to the company, pickup customers may do more planning in filling their virtual shopping carts than those who use delivery, resulting in a bigger basket.  

“In addition to meeting the evolving needs of customers, Instacart Pickup is also proving to be a clear growth driver for our partners. Retailers using pickup are seeing an increase in basket size, averaging 20% higher, and are engaging customers who are new to online grocery,” Nodes commented.

Related:Instacart Pickup set to go national

Meanwhile, Instacart has continued to extend the reach of its same-day delivery service. Thus far in 2019, retailers announcing launches or expansions of Instacart delivery include The Fresh Market, Lucky Supermarkets, Western Beef and Harps Food Stores. About a third of Instacart retailers also now offer delivery of beer, wine and spirits. And in April, Instacart said it has made a foray outside the grocery arena with a pilot of same-day delivery at five Staples office supply stores in the greater Toronto area.

Overall, Instacart serves almost 20,000 stores through more than 300 retail partners in over 5,500 cities across the United States and Canada. The company said its service, with 70,000-plus personal shoppers, is now accessible to more than 80% of U.S. households in all 50 states and to over 60% of Canadian households.