SAN FRANCISCO & MODESTO, CA - One retail partnership in particular is being strengthened this week. Save Mart announced it has expanded its partnership with Instacart, implementing solutions such as Caper Carts and FoodStorm. The retailer will also upgrade to Instacart’s Storefront Pro, bringing superior e-commerce capabilities with advanced advertising options to its business.

"As a seasoned grocer with deep California roots, we’re committed to delivering fresh, local, and quality products at affordable prices. Our collaboration with Instacart has significantly expanded our online presence, reinforcing these core values within our local communities," said Tamara Pattison, Chief Digital Officer at The Save Mart Companies. "Embracing new revenue streams through Storefront Pro offers us a solid foundation to enhance our business online. By introducing Caper Carts and FoodStorm, we’re allowing customers to access what they love most about shopping online and bringing those elements into our stores.”

According to a press release, with the debut of Instacart’s Caper Carts, FoodStorm, and Storefront Pro, the online and in-store shopping experience for customers is further connected.

The retailer first partnered with Instacart in 2019 to launch same-day delivery across its banners, and the two are now deploying a number of technologies to digitize its stores and serve its customers:

• Caper Carts, Instacart’s AI-powered smart carts, will roll out at select Save Mart and Lucky stores in the coming months, followed by a broader rollout later this year
• FoodStorm, Instacart’s order management system that helps streamline retailers’ food service, perimeter offerings and catering operations, will roll out across Save Mart and Lucky stores
• By upgrading to Storefront Pro, all three banners within The Save Mart Companies now have access to premium e-commerce features like customizable homepage and merchandising layouts, robust self-serve marketing tools, in-depth analytics, a dedicated Instacart support team, and support for third-party integrations

"We're committed to giving grocers the technology they need to better serve their customers, no matter how they choose to shop,” said Chris Rogers, Chief Business Officer at Instacart. “We're proud to partner with The Save Mart Companies on innovative in-store and online solutions that enable them to create a truly omnichannel experience that helps their business grow and makes shopping more unified, engaging, and personalized for their customers."

Keep reading ANUK as we bring you more retail news.

SEATTLE, WA - We always keep our eyes on Amazon’s quarterly results to see if any nuggets of insight appear about the company’s grocery plans. Amazon dropped its Q1 2024 financial report earlier this week, in which it outlines impressive growth across its operations. Although Amazon continues to gain in net sales and operating income, most of this growth appears to come from its e-commerce platform.

“It was a good start to the year across the business, and you can see that in both our customer experience improvements and financial results,” said Andy Jassy, President and Chief Executive Officer. “[…] It’s very early days in all of our businesses and we remain excited by how much more we can make customers’ lives better and easier moving forward.”

Within the highlights provided by Amazon, the retailer included one mention of grocery, in which it noted that it launched a grocery subscription for unlimited delivery on orders over $35 from Whole Foods Market, Amazon Fresh, as well as local grocery and specialty retailers.

Additional highlights from the release include:

• Net sales increased 13 percent to $143.3 billion in the first quarter
• Operating income increased to $15.3 billion in the first quarter
• Net income increased to $10.4 billion in the first quarter

To read the release in its entirety, click here.

As Amazon continues to strategize its grocery game, we’ll keep an eye on how its overarching business operates.

FRESNO, CA - We received some good news in regard to the Farm Bill yesterday afternoon. The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) announced its support of the two Farm Bill proposals that were issued by Senator Debbie Stabenow and Representative G.T. Thompson, the chairs of the U.S. Senate and House Agriculture Committees.

“CFFA is grateful to Congressman Thompson and Senator Stabenow for their bipartisan leadership in moving the 2024 Farm Bill forward,” President Daniel Hartwig stated. “The Association is a proud member of Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) which has played a vital role in ensuring that key priorities of the American agriculture industry are included in the 2024 Farm Bill. We look forward to continuing our work with leadership in the House and Senate as framework details become available with hope that a Farm Bill will be signed into law this year.”

The Farm Bill plays a significant role in the agriculture industry while providing Americans with healthy food options, a press release stated. Specialty crops, which include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery, and greenhouse commodities, contribute significantly to the U.S. economy each year.

CFFA looks forward to continuing its work with SCFBA to help ensure that the needed enhancements are made to Farm Bill programs to maintain a sustainable agricultural industry for years to come.

ANUK will keep you informed as we learn more about the bill.