A growing number of independent grocers across the U.S. are adopting Instacart enterprise technology offerings – including Caper Carts, Storefront Pro and FoodStorm – underscoring a growing trend among independent grocers investing in technologies that deliver a unified, personalized experience to their customers in-store and online.
“Independent grocers have always been passionate about the communities they serve, and now they’re leading the charge in retail innovation to give their customers a more seamless, easy and affordable shopping experience,” said Nick Nickitas, general manager of independent grocery and mid-market retail partnerships at Instacart.
“Instacart empowers grocers to deliver the best experience possible for their guests while streamlining operations, driving incremental revenue and strengthening their competitive edge both in-store and online.”
Big Bunny, Stewart’s Elevate In-Store Shopping with Caper Carts
Big Bunny Market in Massachusetts and Stewart’s Marketplace in Utah are the latest to roll out Caper Carts.
Caper Carts enhance the in-store experience by letting customers track their spending and check out on the cart. Using NVIDIA Jetson technology, the carts feature AI-powered sensors that guide customers as they scan and place items into the basket. As items are scanned in, they identify them, helping customers stay aware of their total as they shop.
Retailers using Caper Carts are seeing meaningful improvements in customer engagement, coupon redemption and omnichannel conversion. One retailer reports 40 percent of customers redeeming a discount offer presented on the smart cart to use on a retailer’s online storefront, and over half of customers using at least one coupon during checkout.
“We’ve served our community for generations, and Caper Carts are a great way to bring convenience to our aisles,” said Jonathan Cournoyer, owner at Big Bunny Market. “Our customers will love how the carts make it enjoyable to shop and save money. It’s a win-win for our team and our customers.”
Frank Shaw, manager of marketing at Stewart’s Marketplace, shared, “Here at Stewart’s, we’re constantly exploring new ways to improve our customers’ shopping experience and help them save on groceries. By introducing the Caper Carts, we’re giving our customers the option to use smart technology to speed up and enhance their shopping trips while saving money each time.”
This new wave of Caper Cart launches builds on the momentum from successful rollouts at other independent grocers, including Davis Food & Drug and Soelberg’s Market. Over the past year, the number of stores with Caper Carts has nearly tripled, and they now span nearly 100 cities across 15 states.
Luke’s Local Grocery Taps FoodStorm for Foodservice Management
In California, Luke’s Local Grocery is leveraging FoodStorm, the Instacart order management system, to streamline its deli made-to-order business. FoodStorm allows independent grocers like Luke’s Local Grocery to enhance back-of-house efficiency while offering a modern, intuitive experience to customers placing prepared food orders. In addition to FoodStorm, Luke’s Local Grocery uses Instacart’s Storefront to power its e-commerce platform, bridging the offline and online shopping experience for customers.
“We’re always looking for ways to make great food simpler – for our customers and our team,” said Luke Oppenheim, founder of Luke’s Local. “FoodStorm lets us handle made-to-order and prepared food in real time, without losing the hands-on quality we care about. It’s already making a difference behind the counter and online.”
FoodStorm has seen a rush of adoption this year and is live in more than 3,000 stores in North America, more than doubling the number of stores using the platform since the end of 20242.
S&C Foods Amplifies Online Presence with Storefront Pro
S&C Foods in Tennessee is enhancing its digital footprint with Storefront Pro, Instacart’s end-to-end e-commerce solution custom-designed for grocers of all sizes. Storefront Pro offers grocers the ability to build out a fully branded and customizable shopping experience from discovery, with features like weekly ad integration and AI-powered personalization, to delivery by offering versatile fulfillment options.
Storefront Pro also gives grocers the tools to manage their own promotions, including integration to loyalty programs to engage customers. The white-label e-commerce solution unlocks new retail media capabilities by giving grocers access to Instacart’s Carrot Ads, enabling retailers to monetize its digital and physical footprint through a unified retail media network
“Storefront Pro will make it easy for us to create a best-in-class online platform that maintains our local identity that our customers know and love,” said Shane Means, operations manager, S&C Foods Inc. “It will offer a modern digital experience without having to build everything from scratch ourselves – freeing up our team to focus on serving our community in store.”
S&C Foods will join hundreds of retail banners leveraging Instacart’s Storefront solutions across North America.
Beyond these examples, independent grocers are adopting multiple Instacart enterprise solutions, including Caper Carts, Carrot Tags, FoodStorm and Storefront Pro. These technologies work together to connect in-store and online operations, helping retailers streamline workflows, drive sales and offer more personalized shopping experiences.
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