Continuing its move beyond same-day delivery for groceries, e-commerce platform Instacart has launched a pilot program with arts and crafts retailer Michaels to deliver from nearly 100 stores across Chicago, Dallas and Washington D.C.
With the new partnership, Irving, Texas-based Michaels customers can shop online for delivery in as fast as an hour for thousands of arts and crafts products including canvases, yarn, paint and other art supplies. Following the initial pilot, Michaels delivery via Instacart is expected to expand to all 1,272 Michaels stores in the U.S. over the coming months.
“Michaels is here for the makers and we are thrilled to be the first arts and crafts retailer to be on the Instacart Marketplace,” said Heather Bennett, Michaels executive vice president of innovation. “As the largest one-stop shop for all things arts and crafts in North America, our partnership with Instacart provides a quick and convenient way for our makers to purchase ordinary craft supplies so they can create extraordinary projects.”
Following the initial pilot, Michaels delivery via Instacart is expected to expand to all 1,272 Michaels stores in the U.S. over the coming months.
Created as an online grocery platform, San Francisco-based Instacart partners with almost 600 national, regional and local retailers to provide delivery and pickup from more than 45,000 stores in more than 5,500 North American cities in North America, with its services accessible to over 85% of U.S. households and 70% of Canadian households.
Recently, Instacart has continued to expand its retailer base beyond grocery, including sporting goods, home goods, specialty beauty care and convenience stores through partnerships with Dick’s Sporting Goods, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sephora and 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. The deal with Michaels is the company’s latest foray outside the grocery segment.
“For nearly 50 years, Michaels has inspired consumers across the country with its expansive selection of arts and crafts supplies that help spark creativity, entertainment and learning,” said Chris Rogers, vice president of retail at Instacart. “With spring holidays and summer break quickly approaching, we know consumers value the convenience of having art supplies, seasonal decor and activity kits for the kids delivered from the store to their door in as fast as an hour. We’re proud to kick off this partnership with Michaels and look forward to making Michaels’ craft aisles even more accessible via the Instacart marketplace.”
