Publix debuts 15-minute delivery
Publix Super Markets Inc. is partnering with a well-known hosted delivery platform to fulfill online orders in 15 minutes in a major market.
Starting Thursday, April 28, the employee-owned Southeastern grocery chain is leveraging the Instacart Carrot Warehouses nano-fulfillment solution in Miami. Rolling out over the next several weeks, the offering will enable customers in Miami’s Brickell, Coral Gables, and Wynwood neighborhoods to have a wide range of fresh produce, pantry staples, household goods and other products delivered from Publix in as fast as 15 minutes.
[Read more: Ultrafast delivery is gaining momentum]
Publix is the first grocer to collaborate with Instacart on ultrafast fulfillment through Carrot Warehouses. Launched as part of a broader feature called Instacart Warehouses in March 2022, Carrot Warehouses is a full-stack solution designed to enable end-to-end fast delivery solutions customized to retailer needs, including building new nano-fulfillment centers (NFCs), devising floor plans, establishing automation services, and running ongoing operations.
Publix and Instacart have worked together since 2016, when they launched same-day delivery in as fast as one hour. Through Instacart Platform, Publix has also collaborated with Instacart to offer additional omnichannel services such as curbside pickup, delivery and pickup of specialty items like alcohol and prepared sandwiches, and online EBT SNAP payment acceptance.
“Instacart’s model is to empower retailers to better serve their customers. We’re taking the same approach by building Carrot Warehouses, a network of nano-fulfillment facilities that we operate on retailers’ behalf, to help retailers deliver unmatched speed and selection to their customers. We’re proud to be the platform that helps retailers offer the many use cases their consumers expect, from 15-minute delivery to the weekly shop,” said Daniel Danker, VP of product at Instacart. “With today’s Miami launch, Publix is bringing 15-minute delivery to their customers for the first time. Whether it’s a last-minute dinner ingredient or parents needing a quick restock on diapers, we know Miamians seek convenience in their lives and we’re excited to collaborate with Publix to power it.”
“As we continue to evolve our e-commerce strategy, 15-minute delivery is another example of how we’re committed to meeting our customers wherever they are – whether it’s in-store or online for a convenience need,” said Erik Katenkamp, VP omnichannel & application development at Publix. “Instacart’s suite of solutions allows us to unlock and roll out 15-minute delivery in a major metro area like Miami. Introducing nano-fulfillment centers powered by Instacart Platform is another step in our omnichannel strategy, and we look forward to continuing to exceed our customers’ expectations.”
Customers can access 15-minute delivery through Publix’s mobile app and website, as well as the Instacart app and website by navigating to the “Public Quick Picks” section.
Headquartered in Lakeland, Fla., Publix currently operates 1,295 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. Instacart partners with more than 750 national, regional and local retailers to facilitate online grocery shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 70,000 stores across more than 5,500 cities in North America.