Instacart Adds New Modules to Unite Online, in-Store Grocery Shopping

Grocery technology company Instacart has announced a bundle of six new, modular technologies that grocers will be able to add to the existing Instacart Platform offerings to provide their customers with an experience that combines the best of online and in-store shopping.

The bundle, which is called Connected Stores, is designed to give shoppers the convenience, speed and personalization that they get online with the inspiration and discovery that they find in brick-and-mortar stores, according to a Monday (Sept. 19) press release.

“The launch of Connected Stores is another exciting step for Instacart as we partner with retailers to help invent the future of grocery,” Instacart CEO Fidji Simo said in the release.

The new technologies include a redesigned Caper Cart smart cart that helps customers navigate the store and then check out without manually scanning items, a Scan & Pay function that lets customers scan items as they shop and then pay for them on their mobile phones, and a Lists tool that syncs their shopping list with the Caper Cart so the cart can check items off the list as they are added to the cart.

Other new additions include shelf tags called Carrot Tags that retailers can connect to the platform to help shoppers find items in the store, a FoodStorm order management system that helps retailers get prepared foods ready for the customer at the right time, and Out of Stock Insights that alert retailers when items are running low or out of stock.

“Ultimately, we believe that the more customers connect with grocers across both online and in-store experiences, the more retailers’ businesses will grow,” Simo said in the release.

The first Connected Store powered by the Instacart Platform is to be a Bristol Farms location in Irvine, California, and elements of the new technologies are to be deployed at Wakefern Food, Schnucks and Joseph’s Classic Market.

As PYMNTS reported Friday (Sept. 16), Instacart has made a slew of announcements over the past month or so regarding strategic acquisitions and gaining new investment ahead of a rumored initial public offering (IPO) that could happen before the end of 2022.

Read more: Instacart Faces Fresh Competition in Expanding Smart Cart Sector

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