Smart & Final, Instacart expand partnership in California

More Smart & Final locations have begun same-day online grocery delivery through Instacart.

The companies said Tuesday that 27 Smart & Final banner stores are now offering home delivery of groceries, fresh produce and club-size items via Instacart — in as soon as two hours or less — in the California markets of Baldwin Park, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Coachella, Covina, Fountain Valley, Gardena, Highland Park, Laguna Niguel, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Dimas, San Jose, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Stanton, Sunnyvale and Whittier.

With the expansion, Instacart-powered grocery delivery is available at more than 90% of Smart & Final stores in California.

“At Smart & Final, we’re always looking at new and better ways to offer value and convenience to our household, business and organization customers,” Vice President of Marketing Joe VanDette said in a statement. “The latest addition of Smart & Final stores to Instacart’s catalogue will help our shoppers save even more time, while still having access to our large assortment of high-quality food and everyday staple items.”

Smart & Final and Instacart began piloting same-day delivery in March 2015 and then kicked off a broader rollout of the service in August 2017. The latter included the launch of the branded  Shop.SmartAndFinal.com site in Instacart’s online marketplace and expanded availability of home delivery to about half of the chain’s stores.

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"We are excited that our partnership with Smart & Final has grown so significantly. We know that Smart & Final shoppers are loyal yet busy consumers. As a result, we are pleased to now be able to offer them the benefit of delivery,” said Sarah Mastrorocco, vice president of business development at San Francisco-based Instacart. “Both households and businesses alike will have the opportunity to purchase quality, bulk foods without the membership fee and the added convenience of delivery.”

Commerce, Calif.-based Smart & Final operates 322 grocery and foodservice stores in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Montana and Utah. That includes 258 stores under the Smart & Final Extra! and Smart & Final banners and 64 warehouse stores under the Smart Foodservice banner. Through a joint venture, the retailer also operates 15 stores in northwestern Mexico.