Local Businesses Get Free Year of Instacart+ to Save and Serve Their Customers
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, today announced a limited-time offer that gives small businesses in the United States and Canada free access to Instacart. Starting today, new businesses that create an Instacart Business account will receive 2% credit back on orders over $250 when they sign up for a complimentary year-long Instacart+ membership, which gives them free same-day delivery on orders over $35 and exclusive savings on every order.*
From supply chain issues and staffing shortages to inflation and economic uncertainty, small businesses have faced an unprecedented number of challenges over the last few years. Local institutions like bakeries, salons, cafés, professional offices, daycares, and more are central to the communities they operate in, but are often forced to juggle multiple vendors to get the best prices on snacks, office supplies and the other workplace staples that keep them running. And, with lean operations, teams often wear multiple hats and are time-strapped with the demands of their job. With free Instacart+ and 2% back*, Instacart is helping small businesses get back to business, saving them time and money when they shop for essentials from the freshest restaurant ingredients to new snack offerings from beloved brands.
“We know the demands on small businesses – especially offices and restaurants – have never been more acute as they navigate a new world of hybrid office schedules, persistent supply chain issues, labor shortages and much more,” said Andrew Nodes, VP of Business & Supply Chain at Instacart. “To help ease that burden, we introduced Instacart Business earlier this year to help small businesses get the items they need while avoiding disruptive last-minute runs to the store. We’re now taking it a step further by offering free Instacart+ to small businesses in the U.S. and Canada – creating more ways for businesses to save time and money so they can focus on serving their customers.”
In addition to helping small businesses avoid legacy headwinds like costly order minimums and supplier-specific contracts, Instacart Business can also help small businesses like offices and restaurants navigate the new challenges they face amid increased capacity planning and unpredictable visitor traffic. Offices are nearly 50% filled for the first time since the pandemic started and 62% of restaurants surveyed by the National Restaurant Association say they remain understaffed. With Instacart Business, small businesses can access more than 1,200 retail banners across 80,000 stores and shop thousands of beloved brands, getting everything from printer paper to coffee to bananas delivered in as fast as an hour, either as a primary supplies solution or as an addendum solution to existing suppliers. Now, business owners never have to step away or send their staff out for time-consuming, last-minute runs to the store or worry about making costly predictions about the snacking habits of their in-office employees.
Instacart Business has already established itself as a trusted partner to small businesses across North America, fulfilling millions of business orders each quarter** from a diverse range of companies, including local eateries like Baltimore, Maryland’s Connie’s Chicken and Waffles and national coworking network Industrious.
“I looked at the Instacart app recently and I think it said we have saved some crazy amount of time, like 2,000 hours since we started using it. And I know that every one of those hours is an hour I would have personally spent driving around trying to track down the ingredients or supplies we needed,” said Shawn Parker, Co-Owner of Connie’s Chicken and Waffles. “Especially as we started to expand, there was just no way we could be making multiple store runs for multiple locations all day long. Honestly, there’s really no way we could have expanded without using Instacart.”
“Thousands of companies trust Industrious as their workplace partner, and Instacart helps us deliver the industry’s best workplace experience,” said Valerie Jaffee, Head of Member Experience, Industrious. “Providing daily food & beverage to our members is a core part of how we create exceptional workplaces that are worth the commute. Instacart makes it easy to deliver great food and beverage spreads in more than 50 cities.”
In addition to 2% credit back on orders over $250 and free same-day delivery for a year with Instacart+,* business owners will also enjoy a suite of features that empower them to save on costs, time, and resources:
- Thousands of business-friendly retailers: Businesses can search and shop more than 1.5 million unique products on Instacart, including bulk and value essentials from partners like Costco Business Center, Staples, Restaurant Depot, BJ’s Wholesale Club and Gordon Food Service.
- Sharable stock lists: Instacart Business customers can simplify their operations and reduce spend by gathering all of their business needs into a shopping list that can be shared with their team and ordered with a few taps.
- Easy re-ordering and auto-order capabilities: Teams can save themselves the headache of having to recreate past orders manually by adding all items from a previous order to their cart in just a few taps, and purchasers can use the simple Auto-Order feature for any items that they might need on a rolling basis.
- Flexible delivery options: Businesses can get the best of Instacart via flexible delivery options like same-day delivery for last-minute needs in as fast as an hour, discounted no-rush delivery, and long distance delivery options to ensure they get the perfect supplies, right when they need them.
- Coming soon- tax exemptions and multi-seat accounts: Very soon, eligible businesses like nonprofits, healthcare, and political organizations will be able to take advantage of savings on tax-exempt items. We’ll also be rolling out multi-seat accounts where multiple purchasers can place orders and managers can set policies and optimize their overall spend, paying just one consolidated bill at the end of the month.
To take advantage of this limited time offer, businesses that are new to Instacart can get unlimited free delivery and 2% credit back for one year when they create an Instacart Business profile at www.instacart.com/business and sign-up for a complimentary year-long Instacart+ membership.*
*Instacart+ membership required. Instacart+ Terms apply. With Instacart+, delivery fee will not be charged on orders over $35 per retailer and you’ll get lower service fees; delivery subject to availability. Fees, taxes, and/or tips may still apply. Membership auto-renews for $99/year, or under your existing Instacart+ membership terms, to payment method on file. Cancel anytime; you will only receive a refund if you cancel within 15 days of paid membership term and you have not placed any orders with Instacart+. Credit back on business orders over $250 and terms apply; excludes alcohol. Offer and benefits are only available to valid business entities who are first-time Instacart users and sign-up for a business account between 7/18/23 and 10/31/23, subject to verification. Instacart reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time. Offer may not be combined with other offers. Instacart is not a retailer or seller. Instacart and/or certain retailers, may not be available in all zip or post codes.
**Based on the number of orders placed with business credit cards each quarter in 2022.
About Instacart
Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, works with grocers and retailers to transform how people shop. The company partners with more than 1,200 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 80,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace. Instacart makes it possible for millions of people to get the groceries they need from the retailers they love, and for approximately 600,000 Instacart shoppers to earn by picking, packing and delivering orders on their own flexible schedule. The Instacart Platform offers retailers a suite of enterprise-grade technology products and services to power their e-commerce experiences, fulfill orders, digitize brick-and-mortar stores, provide advertising services, and glean insights. With Instacart Ads, thousands of CPG brands – from category leaders to emerging brands – partner with the company to connect directly with consumers online, right at the point of purchase. With Instacart Health, the company is providing tools to increase nutrition security, make healthy choices easier for consumers, and expand the role that food can play in improving health outcomes. For more information, visit www.instacart.com/company, and to start shopping, visit www.instacart.com.
SOURCE Instacart