Sprouts expands Instacart pickup to Phoenix

Sprouts Farmers Market this week launched Instacart same-day grocery pickup through its stores in the Phoenix Valley, its biggest market so far to offer the service.

Sprouts said Phoenix-area stores now offering Instacart pickup include Ahwatukee, Avondale, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Mesa, Scottsdale, Peoria, Tempe and Queen Creek, Ariz.

Pickup windows can be scheduled for the same day or up to several days in advance. Customers are alerted when their orders are ready for pickup by an Instacart personal shopper, who also greets them at a specified parking location when they arrive and check in using their smartphone.

In support of the launch, first-time pickup customers in Phoenix are being offered $20 off their first order of $35 or more when they enter the promotional code “SFMPHXPICKUP20” at checkout. For a limited time, they also can get free pickup on all orders of $35 or more.

More than 12,000 products from Sprouts are now available for pickup or delivery through Instacart, including fresh produce, meat and seafood as well as dairy, bulk foods, frozen items, and other offerings. Sprouts noted that product pricing on Instacart orders generally reflects in-store pricing, and shoppers can also take advantage of chainwide store promotions such as the “Vitamin Extravaganza” and BOGO deals.

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Instacart pickup made its debut last year at Sprouts stores in select markets as the San Francisco-based online grocery specialist tested the service ahead of a national rollout, which gained momentum this year. As of mid-May, Sprouts had been piloting pickup at 18 stores in six markets.

Phoenix-based Sprouts announced its partnership with Instacart in January 2018, beginning with same-day delivery in select ZIP codes in Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz. That May, the specialty grocer discontinued Amazon Prime Now delivery service, which had been available through 17 stores.

Most recently, in March of this year, Sprouts launched Instacart in 16 new ZIP codes in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, which expanded the service through its stores to more than 200 communities.

Overall, the fresh, natural and organic grocery chain operates more than 325 stores in 21 states from coast to coast.