Heinen’s Ends Partnership With Instacart

Independent grocer will now fulfill curbside, delivery orders in-house

2/16/2023

Beginning Feb. 22, Heinen's associates will fulfill all delivery and curbside pickup orders in-house.

Ohio-based independent retailer Heinen’s Fine Foods will no longer partner with Instacart for its online grocery delivery and curbside pickup services, effective Feb. 22. The grocer will take those operations in-house, with its customer relations team and local store teams becoming responsible for the offerings.

As part of the transition, Heinen’s is rolling out a new mobile app and an upgraded shopping platform available through its website. Trained store associates will pick and pack orders, with the retailer now offering free curbside pickup, as well as catering and alcohol pickup and delivery from most of its locations.

“We are excited to bring the same service you expect from Heinen’s in store to your online shopping experience,” the company said in its announcement. Heinen’s had worked with Instacart on grocery delivery and curbside pickup since 2017.

Heinen’s, which has locations in Ohio and Illinois, was recently honored among Progressive Grocer’s top regional retailers for 2023. The company prides itself on reimagining the traditional grocery store as a destination for everything from quick and easy meals to wellness guidance, and it has also embraced technology to inform assortment decision-making, personalization and pricing.

As for Instacart, the company has been busy bolstering its advertising business while also bringing advanced technology solutions to independent retailers. Its new Scan & Pay technology recently debuted at Foodcellar Market, in Long Island City, N.Y., allowing customers to use the technology to scan while they shop and check out using their mobile phones.

Warrensville Heights, Ohio-based Heinen’s was founded in 1929 in Shaker Heights, Ohio. The store operates 23 locations, with 19 stores in the Cleveland area and four in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago. San Francisco-based Instacart partners with more than 1,000 national, regional and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 75,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace.