H-E-B, one of the most respected and successful supermarket operators in the U.S., is hopping on the online grocery bandwagon. Or should that be bandwagons?
Yesterday, H-E-B announced it was partnering with both Shipt and Instacart to offer online ordering and home delivery of groceries to customers in its home market of San Antonio, TX. Both regular H-E-B stores and the company's Central Market concept are now participating. Customers who use Instacart have the added option of being able to order alcoholic beverages, as well.
"H-E-B strives to provide customers not only with quality products at affordable prices, but also with innovative and convenient services," said Greg Souquette, senior vice president and general manager of San Antonio Operations at H-E-B, in a statement. "Partnerships with companies like Shipt and Instacart allow us to offer a shopping experience to fit the needs of our customers looking for time saving solutions."
H-E-B's announcement follows one last November that it was expanding its e-commerce capabilities to offer around 50,000 shelf-stable foods, general merchandise and health & beauty care items for delivery to all states within the continental U.S. (excluding CA) as well as American military bases around the planet. That effort had a particular Lone Star State slant with Texas ex-pats requesting that the chain make their favorite H-E-B items available for purchase online.
According to the San Antonio Express-News, H-E-B rival Walmart has been expanding its e-commerce presence in the supermarket chain's hometown with a focus on its buy online/pickup in-store service.