Instacart Blog

Instacart Retail

Top 2022 Retail Innovations and a Look Forward to The Trends That Will Shape 2023

The year 2022 helped crystalize what the connected grocery shopping experience looks like — consumers will not abandon shopping in-store, but will increasingly rely on digital shopping.  Online grocery shopping is expected to reach up to…...

Feb 1, 2023

Instacart Retail

The Complete Guide to Driving Growth with Grocery E-Commerce

In the next five years, some grocery executives believe that e-commerce penetration will increase to as high as 35%. While grocery e-commerce and fulfillment leaders have spent years integrating technology to offer essentials to the…...

Dec 9, 2022

Instacart Retail

4 Online Grocery Technology Methods to Future-Proof Your Operations

Fast, scalable grocery fulfillment has become the norm, exponentially accelerated over the past few years by the COVID-19 pandemic and consumers’ increasing need for convenience. Whether in-store shopping or grocery ordering, seamless experiences are the…...

Nov 8, 2022

Eversight

The Power of Promotions: How AI Can Help Retailers Combat Inflation

Inflation is driving up the cost of food throughout North America, resulting in higher prices for individual items and full baskets, both online and in-store. An Advantage Sales survey found that nine out of ten…...

May 11, 2023

Instacart Retail

Top 2022 Retail Innovations and a Look Forward to The Trends That Will Shape 2023

The year 2022 helped crystalize what the connected grocery shopping experience looks like — consumers will not abandon shopping in-store, but will increasingly rely on digital shopping.  Online grocery shopping is expected to reach up to…...

Feb 1, 2023

Eversight

Instacart 2022: A Feast of Grocery Innovations and Upgrades 

Imagine that you’re grocery shopping. Now imagine being able to shop 24/7, selecting from one billion items, and being able to access inventory that updates 3,000 times per second– and checking out alongside millions of…...

Dec 21, 2022

In-Store Mode

Shoppable Recipes Inspired by Lessons in Chemistry on Apple TV+

A show about scientific yet easy recipes and Instacart? It doesn’t take a PhD to see how the two would perfectly fit together. Timed to the October 13 global premiere of Lessons in Chemistry on…...

Oct 12, 2023

Caper

New Omnichannel and AI Solutions to Help Grocery Thrive

At Instacart, we’ve long believed that the future of grocery – and commerce in general – isn’t online or in-store. It’s both. And now more than ever, it’s being supercharged with AI.  Omnichannel customers are…...

Sep 7, 2023

In-Store Mode

Bringing Inspirational, AI-Powered Search to the Instacart app with Ask Instacart

At Instacart, AI has been central to everything we do for years: from matching Shoppers to available batches and delivery windows to helping customers find the right replacements for low-stock items and serving up personalized…...

May 31, 2023

Company Updates

How the Instacart Platform Supports Independents

Across the U.S. and Canada, independent grocers face a number of business challenges, including high inflation, increased competition, workforce development issues, fractured supply chains and more. Despite these headwinds, local retailers are innovating and embracing…...

Feb 23, 2023

Company Updates

Foodcellar Market Introduces Scan & Pay Checkout Technology Powered by Instacart

No one likes waiting in line, which is why we’re excited that local Long Island City grocer Foodcellar Market is the first retailer to fully deploy Instacart’s Scan & Pay technology in stores – part…...

Feb 6, 2023

Instacart Retail

The Complete Guide to Driving Growth with Grocery E-Commerce

In the next five years, some grocery executives believe that e-commerce penetration will increase to as high as 35%. While grocery e-commerce and fulfillment leaders have spent years integrating technology to offer essentials to the…...

Dec 9, 2022

FoodStorm

Helping Local Independent Grocers Streamline Their Catering and Prepared Foods Businesses

Over the past few years, FoodStorm - our order management system (OMS) designed specifically to help grocers manage their deli, prepared foods and catering - has seen remarkable growth. And today, we’re excited to share…...

Apr 24, 2024

FoodStorm

The Next Wave of Optimization: Perimeter Grocery Shopping Experiences

Discover how you can optimize your perimeter grocery shopping experiences with software that connects your departments and delights your consumers.  Simple, powerful, and digital: The future of perimeter grocery As the grocery landscape evolves, retailers…...

Apr 24, 2024

FoodStorm

FoodStorm’s new features help retailers prepare for the holidays

The holiday season is just around the corner, and with it comes the annual surge in prepared foods orders that often overwhelms grocers. To tackle this challenge, many retailers have turned to FoodStorm, Instacart’s order…...

Oct 25, 2023

Caper

Why Smart Carts Are the Winning Technology Format for Grocers

One of the most common misconceptions about smart carts is that they only serve as an alternative to self-checkout. However, the real magic behind a Caper Cart, our AI-powered smart cart, is the digital screen.…...

Apr 9, 2024

Caper

New Omnichannel and AI Solutions to Help Grocery Thrive

At Instacart, we’ve long believed that the future of grocery – and commerce in general – isn’t online or in-store. It’s both. And now more than ever, it’s being supercharged with AI.  Omnichannel customers are…...

Sep 7, 2023

Caper

ShopRite of Spotswood and Fairway Market to Introduce New Smart Carts Powered by Instacart 

ShopRite of Spotswood and Fairway Market to Introduce New Smart Carts Powered by Instacart  We’re excited to announce the arrival of the newest model of the Caper Cart – Instacart’s smart shopping cart – at…...

Jun 22, 2023

Small Business Spotlight

Small Business Summer Spotlights: Cultivating Children’s Healthy Eating Habits with Temple Isaiah Preschool

​​This summer, Instacart is celebrating small businesses with our Small Business Summer Spotlights series. We know small businesses are the heart of their communities, and we’re proud to help them thrive and grow. Every Friday,…...

Jul 28, 2023

Small Business Spotlight

Small Business Summer Spotlights: Creating Strong Community & Empowering Employees with Yoke’s Fresh Market

This summer, Instacart is celebrating small businesses with our Small Business Summer Spotlights series. We know small businesses are the heart of their communities, and we’re proud to help them thrive and grow. On Fridays,…...

Jul 21, 2023

Small Business Spotlight

Small Business Summer Spotlights: Building a Trusted Brand With Once Upon A Farm

This summer, Instacart is celebrating small businesses with our Small Business Summer Spotlights series. We know small businesses are the heart of their communities, and we’re proud to help them thrive and grow. Every Friday,…...

Jul 14, 2023

Company Updates

Flavors of the Fourth: Instacart’s Sizzling Insights for Independence Day

As we gear up for Fourth of July celebrations, we’re diving deep into Americans’ strong culinary preferences for the holiday. From the smoky aroma of a backyard barbecue to the fresh crunch of a ripe…...

Jun 20, 2024

Company Updates

Click to Cart: New York Times Cooking Recipes are Now Shoppable with Instacart

Today we’re announcing a delicious new chapter in the world of home cooking – New York Times Cooking recipes are now shoppable with Instacart! As a beloved source for thousands of recipes from some of…...

Jun 11, 2024

Company Updates

Taking a Bite Out of Summer Hunger: How Instacart is Supporting Local Food Banks and the Summer EBT Program

For some families, summer evokes images of swimming pools and backyard barbeques. But for too many families — including far too many children — summer instead means more frequent hunger pangs and months of not…...

Jun 10, 2024

Shopper Community

New Updates for a Smoother Delivery Experience

We’re always seeking to make the entire shopping experience easier and more seamless for shoppers and customers alike. Today, we’re announcing several updates designed to make delivery easier, safer, and more efficient.  Seamless Drop-offs We…...

Jun 27, 2024

Shopper Community

New features to support you in a smooth delivery

Kurra -  550 deliveries Today, we’re announcing a few new features designed to create a more seamless experience when you are delivering to customers. As part of our continued commitment to support you while you…...

Jun 27, 2024

Shopper Community

Shoppers in California have earned more than $3 billion on Instacart since Prop 22 was passed

Shoppers are at the heart of the Instacart community, with hundreds of thousands of people picking, packing, and delivering groceries and other essentials to millions of customers across the country. For the past 12 years,…...

May 20, 2024

Taste of Instacart

Building Bridges this Pride Month with Rainbow Carrots

Happy Pride Month! This month, our Rainbow Carrots Employee Resource Group (ERG) proudly led this year's festivities, featuring both virtual and in-person events designed to celebrate Instacart’s diverse identities and make room for positive change.…...

Jun 28, 2024

Taste of Instacart

Recognizing Juneteenth: Reflections from our Head of Diversity, Equity, & Belonging (DEB)

While Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the US, since 2021, Instacart and its employees commemorate the observance with shoppers, customers, and in our communities globally. For us, it’s a time to come together to…...

Jun 19, 2024

Taste of Instacart

Amplifying ANHPI Experiences: Celebrating the Asian Diaspora at Instacart

We just wrapped another successful Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (ANHPI) Heritage Month with the Asians@ Employee Resource Group (ERG), uniting employees and various community members to honor the contributions of the ANHPI community…...

Jun 5, 2024

How It's Made

One Model to Serve Them All: How Instacart deployed a single Deep Learning pCTR model for multiple surfaces with improved operations and performance along the way

Authors: Cheng Jia, Peng Qi, Joseph Haraldson, Adway Dhillon, Qiao Jiang, Sharath Rao Introduction Instacart Ads and Ranking Models At Instacart Ads, our focus lies in delivering the utmost relevance in advertisements to our customers, facilitating novel product discovery and enhancing…...

Dec 19, 2023

How It's Made

Monte Carlo, Puppetry and Laughter: The Unexpected Joys of Prompt Engineering

Author: Ben Bader The universe of the current Large Language Models (LLMs) engineering is electrifying, to say the least. The industry has been on fire with change since the launch of ChatGPT in November of…...

Dec 19, 2023

How It's Made

Unveiling the Core of Instacart’s Griffin 2.0: A Deep Dive into the Machine Learning Training Platform

Authors: Han Li, Sahil Khanna, Jocelyn De La Rosa, Moping Dou, Sharad Gupta, Chenyang Yu and Rajpal Paryani Background About a year ago, we introduced the first version of Griffin, Instacart’s first ML Platform, detailing its development and support for end-to-end ML in…...

Nov 22, 2023

Instacart Retail

The Growth of Retail Media Networks: Everything a Grocer Should Know

Learn how the growth of retail media networks (RMNs) helps grocers sharpen their competitive edge while strengthening relationships with consumers and CPGs.  The digital revolution of retail media As cookies and third-party data collection continue…...

May 28, 2024

FoodStorm

Helping Local Independent Grocers Streamline Their Catering and Prepared Foods Businesses

Over the past few years, FoodStorm - our order management system (OMS) designed specifically to help grocers manage their deli, prepared foods and catering - has seen remarkable growth. And today, we’re excited to share…...

Apr 24, 2024

FoodStorm

The Next Wave of Optimization: Perimeter Grocery Shopping Experiences

Discover how you can optimize your perimeter grocery shopping experiences with software that connects your departments and delights your consumers.  Simple, powerful, and digital: The future of perimeter grocery As the grocery landscape evolves, retailers…...

Apr 24, 2024

Instacart Ads

Wow Bao has Steaming Success — Quadrupling Sales on Instacart

Wow Bao is a fast-casual Asian concept started in 2003 by Lettuce Entertain You in Chicago’s iconic Water Tower Place. In addition to several storefronts, the omni-channel brand is now in nearly 700 virtual restaurants…...

Jun 26, 2024

Instacart Ads

Instacart Ads Initiative: Our Continued Commitment to Underrepresented Brands in 2024

Amplifying CPG brands nationwide With the launch of the Instacart Ads Initiative in 2021, we committed $1 million to support digital advertising for emerging Black-owned brands on Instacart. We expanded on that commitment in 2022,…...

Jun 12, 2024

Instacart Ads

Soom Foods Reaches New Customers and Grows Sales 261% on Instacart

Soom Foods was founded by three sisters in 2013 with the mission to make tahini, or sesame butter, a more popular ingredient in the US. Soom started by supplying restaurants with their tahini made from…...

May 13, 2024