Instacart Launches Priority Delivery Option

The e-commerce grocery channel rapidly expanded home delivery options last year as the world entered pandemic lockdowns. As those restrictions start to lift, Instacart doesn’t want to let go of its gains: the company is launching a new Priority Delivery feature that promises to deliver an order in as fast as 30 minutes.

What will Priority Delivery look like?

Instacart’s Priority Delivery brings even faster options (less than 30 minutes) to a platform that already offers 45- and 60-minute windows. Instacart has said there will be a limit on the number of items a consumer can order through Priority Delivery and the feature will be unavailable for larger, complicated orders.

According to a press release, the ultra-fast delivery feature will be tested in 15 cities across the U.S., confirming it will launch in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle. The new delivery option will be available in over 300 store locations, through retailers such as Ralphs, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Stater Bros, and others.

What’s the goal?

The goal of Priority Delivery is to bring the “in-store express lane online,” said Daniel Danker, Vice President of Product at Instacart in the press release. “We know that no two grocery shops are created equal – whether it’s a bulk buy for the week ahead or just a few ingredients for tonight’s dinner – so we’re launching new features that support the many ways people shop for their groceries today.”

With this launch Instacart is seeking to target new shoppers, with its intended use to be for consumers looking to quickly receive a few items and not those who are ordering their entire week’s pantry load. The feature could also appeal to consumers who have forgotten an item or two and are willing to pay for the convenience of having it delivered, or for those who want to order a quick-to-prepare meal instead of turning to meal delivery services like Doordash or Grubhub.

The Priority Delivery feature will be designated with a lightning bolt icon that appears next to each retailer as consumers browse for a place to shop in the app. Instacart will also add an option to filter results so consumers can view only the retailers offering Priority Delivery.

Are there Concerns?

Yes, there are. Considering Instacart already offers 45- and 60-minute delivery options, Betsy McGinn, founder of e-commerce consulting firm McGinn Ecomm, said she is skeptical that promising deliveries 15-minutes quicker will really add any value for retailers and consumers. McGinn said she is also unsure whether demand for errand-style shopping isn’t already met by the delivery options currently available.

After the initial launch and testing phase, Instacart said it plans to bring 30-minute delivery to more cities and through more retail locations over the coming months. It is also expanding 45-minute and 60-minute delivery access to additional cities nationwide. McGinn said all of this expediting is sure to have an impact on the consumers and retailers – and is potentially a risky choice just as consumers begin to think about returning to in person shopping. In a recent study conducted by Incisiv, almost 60% of shoppers plan to revert back to in-store shopping habits once life returns to normal.

“One of the things I saw grocery stores struggle with during the surge in Instacart shopping was creating a dynamic for their consumers that are shopping in the store that could remain pleasant and positive,” said McGinn. “I think this pushes the envelope even more on how stores can balance the needs of that Instacart shopper who wants speed and the experience of the in-store shopper that doesn’t want to feel the negative experience of that stressed out Instacart shopper.”

The news comes as Instacart’s rival, Amazon, recently announced it will discontinue its Prime Now stand-alone app and mainstream their version of ultrafast delivery into the website’s platform and primary app for a more inclusive customer experience.