SAN FRANCISCO, CA - If Instacart wasn't already on your list of formidable grocery allies, the company's latest strategy might earn it a spot. Seeking to improve a key channel of demand for retailers, the grocery technology expert is expanding its services to enable online catering ordering and delivery for its partners. This new strategy harnesses FoodStorm's order management system (OMS) which allows shoppers to easily place catering orders online while streamlining the process for store associates to manage orders.
"Catering represents one of the highest margin categories for grocers, driving meaningful incremental growth for their business as consumer demand increases. In the first half of 2022, we've seen nearly a 20 percent increase in customers searching for 'catering' on Instacart compared to the same period last year," said Jeanette Barlow, Vice President of Product at Instacart. "Historically, ordering ahead from the grocery store is labor-intensive—often using paper tickets or other manual systems—and inefficient for both retailers and customers. By connecting FoodStorm OMS with the Instacart App, we're able to help grocers meet catering demand by offering a comprehensive, omnichannel experience for customers using Carrot Order Ahead and scale the reach of a highly profitable part of their business."
FoodStorm's OMS can now be integrated with the Instacart App further extending Carrot Order Ahead, an Instacart Platform solution. As noted in a press release, Carrot Order Ahead enables a variety of fulfillment options, including next-day or scheduled in-advance delivery and pickup, allowing grocers to offer their shoppers a more convenient way to order catering and prepared foods through the Instacart App.
The integration between FoodStorm and the Instacart App means customers can order grocery items alongside their catering order for delivery all at one time.
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