DISCUSSION

Sam’s Club to push same-day grocery deliveries with Instacart deal

February 27, 2018Written by George Anderson

Photo: Getty Images

Sam’s Club has announced that it is partnering with Instacart to offer same-day delivery in three cities beginning today, with plans to roll out the service across the U.S. this year and beyond. The initial markets being served are Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth, TX, as well as St. Louis, MO. Shopping at Sam’s using Instacart will not require a membership to the warehouse club chain, but non-members will pay higher prices. The service will deliver groceries and small appliances. "Whether it’s Scan & Go, Club Pickup — and now delivery in as little as an hour — shopping with Sam’s Club is getting easier and more convenient, and we’re just getting started,” said Sachin Padwal, Sam’s Club’s vice president of omnichannel and in-club product, in a statement. “Instacart is a trusted partner by so many customers, we are thrilled to be launching this service with them.” Sam’s recently announced plans to consolidate the number of memberships it offers from three to two. The company also reiterated its plan to focus more of its efforts online. Sam's will open its first online fulfillment center in Memphis, TN this spring. It is currently scouting locations including Central Florida, the Chicago area, the Mid-Atlantic, the Northeast, Southern California and Texas to add others starting in the second half of the year. The deal between the two companies raises the question whether Walmart, which owns Sam’s, will also partner with Instacart. The nation’s largest grocer offers same-day delivery in some markets using Uber or Deliv and is testing deliveries using its own trucks in Denver, according to Reuters. Instacart recently announced it had raised $200 million in a new round of funding. The service is working with 200 grocery partners in the U.S., including seven of the top eight.

Discussion Thread0