Smart & Final Growing West Coast Grocery Offering
Smart & Final Stores Inc. has joined forces with Uber Technologies Inc. to expand the grocer’s on-demand and scheduled grocery delivery to customers across the West Coast. Customers can now shop 173 Smart & Final stores in Arizona, California and Nevada via Uber and Uber Eats, with plans to add all 254 of the chain’s locations.
Additionally, with this move, Smart & Final has become the first major U.S. grocery partner to offer alcohol to customers through Uber Eats. Alcoholic beverages are now available for delivery in California, and will be available in Arizona and Nevada later this year.
“Grocery continues to be a rapid area of growth for us this year, with millions of consumers ordering groceries and other essentials through Uber each month,” noted Oskar Hjertonsson, head of grocery at San Francisco-based Uber, which, since launching in the grocery channel in July 2020, has seen consistent U.S. growth. “By partnering with grocers like Smart & Final, we’re able to meet our customers’ demands for more high-quality products, including alcohol, at value prices delivered seamlessly, right to their door.”
“Consumers are increasingly looking for easy and convenient ways to shop, and this new partnership with Uber allows Smart & Final to bring our more than 3,000 club store items, farm-fresh produce, organic products and even alcohol to new and existing shoppers via a convenient on-demand experience,” said Joe VanDette, Smart & Final’s group VP – marketing and digital. “Smart & Final is committed to providing our customers, whether they be in-store or at home, the opportunity to save time and money without a membership fee.”
Commerce, Calif.-based Smart & Final’s locations include larger-format stores under the Smart & Final Extra! banner combining a warehouse-store format with traditional grocery offerings. The company is No. 59 on The PG 100 in 2021, Progressive Grocer's list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
