Publix Launches Rapid Delivery in Miami Using Instacart's Carrot Warehouses
The delivery competition just got hotter in Miami, as Publix Super Markets and Instacart are teaming up for 15-minute delivery across several city neighborhoods. The rapid delivery is courtesy of Instacart’s nano-fulfillment solution, Carrot Warehouses.
Through these strategically-located mini-fulfillment centers, Publix can offer its fresh produce, dairy, meat and other grocery items for fast last-mile service. Shoppers who live in the Brickell, Coral Gables and Wynwood areas of Miami can order items day or night through both Publix’s and Instacart’s apps and websites, clicking on the Publix Quick Picks option.
Publix, which first teamed with Instacart in 2016 to offer same-day delivery, is the first grocer to use this new model. “As we continue to evolve our e-commerce strategy, 15-minute delivery is another example of how we’re committed to meeting our customers wherever they are – whether it’s in-store or online for a convenience need,” remarked Erik Katenkamp, VP of omnichannel and application development at Publix. “Instacart’s suite of solutions allows us to unlock and roll out 15-minute delivery in a major metro area like Miami. Introducing nano fulfillment is another step in our omnichannel strategy, and we look forward to continuing to exceed our customers’ expectations.”
According to Daniel Danker, VP of product at Instacart, this is the latest example of innovations powered by the recently-introduced Instacart Platform featuring enterprise-grade technologies and solutions. "Instacart's model is to empower retailers to better serve their customers. We're taking the same approach by building Carrot Warehouses, a network of nano-fulfillment facilities that we operate on retailers' behalf, to help retailers deliver unmatched speed and selection to their customers,” Danker explained, noting that the potential for the service is broad. “Whether it’s a last-minute dinner ingredient or parents needing a quick restock on diapers, we know Miamians seek convenience in their lives and we’re excited to collaborate with Publix to power it.”
In addition to the latest 15-minute delivery offering, the Publix-Instacart collaboration provides a variety of other omnichannel services, including curbside pickup, delivery and pickup of specialty items and online EBT and SNAP payments.
Employee-owned and -operated, Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix has more than 1,200 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. The grocer is No. 11 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Meanwhile, Instacart currently partners with more than 750 national, regional and local retail brands to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 70,000 stores across more than 5,500 cities in North America. Hundreds of retailers partner with Instacart to power their e-commerce experiences across the Instacart App and their own white-label sites and solutions.
