Instacart announced it has extended Instacart Ads Manager to retailers, enabling them to activate campaigns within the scaled, self-serve advertising platform.
The company is opening the same high-intent reach, optimization and closed-loop measurement infrastructure that supports brand campaigns to retailers. At the same time, it is building new tools designed for their goals, from driving engagement to growing basket size and drawing new consumers.
“This builds on the foundations we’ve established with brand partners: intuitive campaign management, trusted measurement, and optimization toward results,” said Ali Miller, Instacart general manager of advertising.
“We look forward to partnering with retailers to unlock new growth opportunities and build on our shared momentum.”
Retailer perspectives
Tamara Pattison, chief digital officer at The Save Mart Companies, said the expanded tools help the chain meet customers wherever they shop.
“Instacart’s enhanced advertising tools allow us to thoughtfully showcase our offerings and promotions in ways that feel relevant and helpful,” she said. “We value our continued partnership and the opportunity to inspire customers throughout their digital shopping journey.”
Tiffany Allegro, marketing director at Valley Marketplace, agreed.
“Instacart’s expanded advertising tools give retailers like us new opportunities to stand out in the digital aisle and connect with customers in meaningful ways,” she said. “We’re excited to leverage these capabilities to grow our business and highlight the promotions and products our community loves.”
Self-serve retailer promotions
One new capability within the retailer suite is self-serve retailer promotions in Ads Manager.
Retailers can create and manage basket-level offers, target high-intent consumer segments and reach consumers who shop within a category but have not yet purchased from their banner.
Campaign performance – including redemptions, total sales impact and new-to-banner growth – is measured in real time using Instacart’s closed-loop data. Retailers can launch, test and optimize campaigns without relying on managed service support.
In addition to on-platform solutions, retailers also are starting to test Instacart’s off-platform advertising offering.
Through partnerships with Meta and others, they can extend their campaigns beyond Instacart to reach high-intent consumers across the broader media landscape.
By activating Instacart audiences wherever they already buy media, retailers can win back lapsed customers, attract new ones and drive incremental sales and market share growth.
Looking ahead
Throughout 2026, retailers will gain access to additional advertising capabilities within the Instacart Marketplace.
They include sponsored placements, expanded discovery opportunities within search and browse and participation in curated, high-traffic shopping moments.
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