Instacart has launched a SNAP/EBT-focused partnership with Walgreens.
The collaboration, announced Tuesday (Aug. 6), will offer online SNAP/EBT payment acceptance at more than 7,500 Walgreens stores nationwide, including 100-plus Duane Reade locations in New York, letting customers purchase thousands of SNAP-eligible products for same-day delivery via Instacart.
“Our collaboration with Instacart underscores Walgreens commitment to expanding access to essential food items for our customers,” Balachandra Visalatha, senior vice president and chief product officer at Walgreens, said in a news release.
“By integrating SNAP/EBT payments, we are making it easier for families and individuals to shop for the items they need and offer an efficient, highly relevant customer experience that meets their changing needs and preferences.”
According to the release, most Walgreens stores already accept SNAP/EBT for in-person purchases. The partnership with Instacart lets customers around the country use SNAP/EBT at any Walgreens, doing away with the need for transportation to the store.
Also Tuesday, Instacart announced an expansion of its partnership with grocery chain Aldi to bring Instacart’s Connected Stores technologies to Aldi South stores in the U.S., while also testing Instacart’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smart carts in Austria.
The partnership includes technologies such as “In-Store mode,” which lets customers see what’s in-stock, find details about items on their list, and access in-store promotions and discounts through the Instacart App.
There’s also an offering known as Carrot Tags, which “have pick-to-light capabilities, meaning that Instacart shoppers can select an item on their phone and the corresponding shelf label will flash,” Instacart said.
The news came days after Instacart announced that a three-store grocery chain in Utah was deploying the company’s AI-powered smart carts.
“We’re proud to provide local grocery partners like Davis Food & Drug with tech solutions that seamlessly connect their in-store and online offerings and deliver personalized experiences through convenient, cost-effective options,” said Nick Nickitas, Instacart’s general manager, Local Independent Grocery.
As PYMNTS wrote Tuesday, these partnerships and other collaborations between supermarkets and delivery services come “as consumers seek out both digital and physical grocery options.”
Research by PYMNTS Intelligence shows that, as of last year, 52% of grocery shoppers made purchases online and in person, while 43% did so exclusively in person and less than 6% did so only via digital channels.
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