Fresh Thyme launches home delivery through Instacart

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market has launched a new delivery service in partnership with Instacart that will serve customers in 55 of the chain’s 70 locations in the Midwest.

The Downers Grove, Ill.-based chain will offer the service through a new website, FreshThymeDelivers.com, as well as through the Instacart app.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to bringing healthy, natural and organic products to all, we’ve launched Fresh Thyme Delivers, to give shoppers greater access to affordable groceries and products whenever and wherever it’s convenient for them,” said Chris Sherrell, president and CEO of Fresh Thyme. “The demand for delivery services has never been greater.”

The move to commence delivery service comes as Fresh Thyme, which is backed by an investment from Grand Rapids, Mich.-based supercenter operator Meijer, has slowed its new-store expansion.

Meijer, meanwhile has had delivery partnership with Instacart rival Shipt, which is owned by Minneapolis-based Target Corp. Last year the retailer projected it would make more than 1 million deliveries using the service, which is available through more than 200 Meijer locations.

Meanwhile, other food retailers also revealed plans to expand their same-day delivery this week, including Cincinnati-based Kroger Co., which said it has begun offering same-day delivery through Instacart at all 94 locations in Michigan, according to a report on MLive.com. Kroger also offers online ordering with curbside pickup as part of its ClickList service at 46 locations in Michigan, the website reported.

In the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore markets, Target Corp. is expanding same-day delivery through Shipt beginning Thursday, according to Washingtonian.