Instacart offers new ways for consumers to save on grocery shopping

Online grocery giant Instacart is rolling out a slew of new features on its app that the company says are “designed to make online grocery shopping more affordable” — including a Deals Tab and exclusive savings for Instacart Express members, a reduced-cost and free delivery option and a “Dollar Store Hub” destination on the Instacart marketplace.

Beginning Thursday, the Instacart app will offer the following:

• New Reduced-Cost and Free Delivery: In select markets, Instacart is testing a new delivery option, which will reduce or waive the delivery fee on orders placed more than 24 hours in advance of the desired delivery date and time.

• Savings with the Deals Tab: “A grocery circular for the digital age,” the Deals Tab makes it easier for people to quickly find the best deals from their favorite retailers and brands. “Instacart already runs hundreds of thousands of deals and coupons across its marketplace every day,” the company said, “and the Deals Tab will offer millions of dollars in savings with daily coupons from retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies.” Customers can visit the Deals Tab to browse sales in their area and save on weekly staples, bulk products or special-occasion items, with discounts on everything from birthday cakes and steaks to seasonal decor and electronics. 
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• 5% Credit Back on Express Pickup Orders: Instacart is also bringing additional savings to Express members who use the company’s contactless curbside Pickup offering, one of the affordable ways to shop at Instacart. All Pickup customers already save on service fees and do not pay delivery fees. Over the next few months, Express members will get even more savings with 5% credit back on their eligible Pickup orders, usable on future orders placed via Instacart. The company has expanded Pickup to more than 4,500 stores nationwide across 120 grocery partners, including Aldi, Food Lion, Gelson’s Market, Publix, Price Chopper, Schnucks, Shop ’n Save, Sprouts Farmers Market, The Fresh Market, Wegmans and more.

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• The Dollar Store Hub: The new Dollar Store Hub allows Instacart customers to browse dollar store deals and discover more savings from over 13,000 dollar stores — including Dollar Tree, which now offers nationwide delivery from more than 7,000 stores — as well as 99 Cents Only, Five Below and Family Dollar.

Instacart’s new slate of features come at a time when grocery costs are continuing to rise across North America ahead of the holidays and amid increasing global supply chain challenges.

“Giving people more access to food — and more time to enjoy it together — has always been core to our mission. For most families, when it comes to grocery shopping we know that every dollar matters. Outside of rent and transportation, groceries are one of the largest monthly budget expenditures for most households. Roughly 60% of offline grocery transactions in the U.S. include coupons, and across our own marketplace customers have already saved more than $400 million this year,” said Asha Sharma, chief operating officer of San Francisco-based Instacart. “That’s why we’re proud to roll out these new features that help customers get exactly what they need, while also saving along the way. Online grocery shouldn’t be a luxury, and we’re committed to making Instacart the most affordable way for families across North America to get the food they need from the retailers they love.”

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Indeed, Instacart’s new slate of features come at a time when grocery costs are continuing to rise across North America ahead of the holidays and amid increasing global supply chain challenges. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for groceries and other food prepared at home increased by 2.6% over the past year — on top of a 3.5% increase from 2019.

North America’s largest third-party online grocery platform, Instacart partners with more than 700 national, regional and local retailers and delivers from over 65,000 stores across more than 5,500 cities. Its delivery service reaches more than 85% of U.S. households and 90% of Canadian households.