Instacart teams with wholesaler to offer indie grocers e-commerce tools
Instacart is expanding the availability of its Storefront Pro e-commerce platform and same-day delivery service via a new partnership.
The grocery technology company is now offering Storefront Pro, its end-to-end customizable e-commerce solution built specifically for supermarket retailers, as well the ability to join the Instacart app and provide same-day delivery, to the independent grocer network of wholesale distributor Merchants Distributors LLC (MDI).
"We've long admired MDI and how, for over 90 years, they have supported independent grocers with essential expertise, infrastructure, and scale, so that they can thrive and grow,” said Nick Nickitas, GM of independent grocery and mid-market retail partnerships at Instacart. “Together we'll empower leading local grocers to deliver a seamless, flexible way to shop while preserving the local connection that sets them apart in the communities they serve."
Instacart Storefront features built-in catalog services for “rich browsing experiences,” automated marketing campaigns to boost customer conversion, and rapid deployment of the consumer-centric features and sales tactics for driving growth. Businesses can get up and running in as fast as three weeks on the platform.
Other Instacart Storefront features include same-day priority delivery in as fast as 30-minutes, no-rush and schedule-ahead delivery, and pickup. Instacart Storefront also includes access to an app for store associates that helps them pick and pack orders.
Retailers can upgrade to the Pro tier to gain access to premium features such as fully customizable merchandising, self-serve marketing tools to run lifestyle campaigns, the ability to add a retail media network, a dedicated Instacart support team, and support for third-party integrations such as coupons, loyalty and POS technologies.
Independent grocers on the MDI network will also have access to complete, full-stack fulfillment technologies to enable pickup and delivery.
"As a wholesaler, it's important that we equip our retail partners with the ability to connect with customers however they shop," said Mary Kellmanson, senior VP marketing at MDI. "By powering our e-commerce service with Instacart, we're able to support our independent retailers with a comprehensive solution that gives us the merchandising flexibility we need to help our retailers grow their digital presence and better serve their communities."
Instacart has been attempting to strengthen its position as a provider of e-commerce solutions for grocers. The company acquired Wynshop, a provider of e-commerce solutions for more than a dozen global grocers and retailers including Wakefern and Pattison, in May 2025.
In 2022, former Instacart CEO Fidji Simo marked the company’s 10th anniversary by publicly outlining its corporate strategy for the next 10 years. Saying grocery is ready for its "next, tech-enabled chapter," Simo stated that "the future of grocery belongs to those that invented it — not tech goliaths or newcomers trying to drive grocers out of business."
[READ MORE: Instacart ups its game]
San Francisco-based Instacart partners with more than 1,800 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from nearly 100,000 stores across North America.
Founded in 1931, MDI is a privately-owned wholesale grocery store distributor headquartered in Hickory, N.C. supplying more than 600 retail food stores with food and non-food items in 12 states, and also exports to more than 30 countries. MDI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alex Lee Inc.
