Big Lots, C&S Partner With Instacart
As online shopping heats up amid the COVID-19 pandemic, retailers are turning to Instacart to quickly offer same-day delivery.
Within the last week, both Big Lots and C&S Wholesale Grocers, the largest wholesale grocery supply company in the U.S., have announced partnerships with Instacart.
Big Lots is partnering with Instacart to launch same-day delivery nationwide from nearly 1,400 Big Lots stores across all 47 states where the retailer operates. In addition to all of Big Lots' grocery and pantry staples, customers shopping via Instacart will be able to select from a variety of Big Lots aisles including home goods, kitchen and dining, beauty, pet, personal care, office and craft supplies, toys and more.
At Big Lots it's our mission to make big savings on home essentials accessible to our customers in the communities we serve,” said Erica Fortune, VP of Ecommerce at Big Lots. “Our partnership with Instacart will bring our assortment of home goods, groceries and everyday essentials to customers online in a new way. This announcement is another example of our commitment to offering exceptional value, surprising products and an easy shopping experience to families across the U.S.”
C&S Wholesale Grocers and Instacart will offer e-commerce and same-day delivery solutions to more than 3,000 C&S independent grocery retailers across the U.S. The new partnership shows both companies' continued commitment to supporting independent grocers across the country. As part of the partnership, C&S will help bring their network of independent grocers onto the Instacart marketplace. The companies will work closely to help retailers establish an e-commerce and delivery offering to meet the needs of their customers. Once the grocer is live on the Instacart marketplace, customers can visit the Instacart website or download the mobile app, enter their city, select their store, and begin adding items to their Instacart grocery cart.
"C&S is proud to provide our retail partners with the ability to move their businesses online," stated Corey Quiring, VP of Retail Services at C&S Wholesale Grocers. "Now more than ever before, shoppers need the safety and convenience of online shopping and home delivery. Instacart's services are unparalleled in providing a seamless shopping experience."
Instacart personal shoppers pick, pack and deliver orders within the customer's designated time frame — same-day, or for convenient scheduling, up to two weeks in advance. All Instacart orders default to "Leave at My Door Delivery" to ensure customers receive their deliveries safely and can maintain social distancing guidelines.
Shopper Safety
Last month, Instacart announced new safety measures and resources to support its shopper community. A new shopper in-app safety hub offers additional tools and resources to protect shoppers while they're picking and delivering orders.
As part of the hub, Instacart partnered with ADT to connect shoppers to emergency services in-app, providing urgent assistance in times of need. The new "Get emergency assistance" button connects shoppers with emergency services and shares data such as GPS location to help them get aid when they need it.
In addition to the new button, shoppers can more easily report an issue that may occur while shopping or delivering via the incident reporting functionality from the safety hub. Shoppers can also access resources about third-party safety organizations, shopper injury protection, and guidelines on shopping and delivering safely.
Instacart also introduced shopper ID verification, a new authentication method to help make sure shoppers' accounts are valid. While shopping or delivering a batch, shoppers will be periodically prompted to take a photo of themselves, which will ensure that the person using the account is the same individual whose photo is on file. By prompting authentication in this way, Instacart is preventing shoppers' accounts from being used by unauthorized individuals.
Additionally, a new updated contactless delivery feature means shoppers don’t have to scan a customer's ID upon delivering alcohol or prescriptions. The shopper can simply review the ID and signature that the customer will scan from their own device, and verify that the ID matches the customer from a safe, six-foot distance.