L.A. gets same day grocery delivery

Instacart said it launched its same day grocery delivery service in the Los Angeles area this week as part of a nationwide rollout to urban markets.

In late March, the company began offering its service in the New York area. Instacart employs a crowd-sourced business model which matches grocery orders with personal shoppers who deliver products using their own vehicles in as little as one hour.

The company said customers can order virtually any item carried in their neighborhood Whole Foods Market delivered and expects to add additional L.A. retail outlets soon in addition to the capability to combine orders from multiple stores. Customers who want delivery within an hour pay a $14.99 fee while those willing to accept a two hour delivery window pay $3.99.

Instacart said its initial coverage area includes Los Angeles County neighborhoods such as West Hollywood, Hollywood, Fairfax, Beverly Grove, Sawtelle, West L.A., Mid-Wilshire, Santa Monica, Venice and Marina Del Rey.

"We expect that the traffic and long commutes in L.A. will drive demand similar to what cold weather does for the east coast,” said Instacart founder Apoorya Mehta. “Instacart will allow L.A. residents to avoid making those detours to the grocery store while continuing to get the healthy foods they love. We're really excited to bring Instacart to L.A. and give folks an easy way to get great food delivered right to their doorstep."

Instacart was first launch in San Francisco. The company contends its crowdsourced model eliminates the need for costly infrastructure such as inventory, warehouses, trucks and full-time drivers.