Stater Bros. integrates omnichannel fulfillment with mobile app

The largest privately-owned supermarket chain in Southern California is offering curbside pickup and home delivery of online orders via native mobile app.

As part of a broader upgrade to its online shopping experience, Stater Bros. Markets is launching a new, natively developed mobile app running on a platform from grocery e-commerce solutions provider Mercatus. Seeking to offer a fully integrated online ordering and fulfillment experience, the retailer can now offer curbside and white-label delivery options provided by Instacart to app users.

In the recent first week of wide release, Stater Bros. saw thousands of downloads of the new mobile app. The grocer has been leveraging Mercatus SaaS-based technology to create an online shopping site that will be fully responsive for optimized browsing on any device, including mobile, since 2021.

This online offering also includes Mercatus’ enhanced fulfillment capability, provided in partnership with the Upshop (formerly ADC) ShopperKit in-store order fulfillment platform and Flybuy location technology. Through ShopperKit, Stater Bros. will be able to manage all in-store fulfillment activities related to online orders.

Meanwhile, the retailer will utilize Flybuy’s geolocation technology to facilitate the handoff of pickup orders to curbside customers in two minutes or less. Stater Bros. will also leverage Mercatus’ integrated digital advertising capability with the CitrusAd retail media platform. By partnering with CitrusAd, Mercatus can provide retailers on its platform immediate, turnkey access to all the national brand advertisers and media agencies on the CitrusAd network. National CPGs will be able to reach and incentivize Stater Bros. customers as a result.

Other efforts by Stater Bros. to upgrade its technology infrastructure include deploying the NCR Commerce platform (NCP) to unify all technology needed to run its brick-and-mortar store, and migrating to the SAP S/4 HANA ERP system and Success Factors human capital management solution.

“We are beyond excited to continue to reach new and existing customers in the Southern California region with fresh groceries, whether that be in-store, curbside or home delivery,” said Darrell Anhel, director of e-commerce, Stater Bros. Markets. 

“Now more than ever, our customers are looking for the convenience of shopping online,” said Pete Van Helden, CEO, Stater Bros. Markets. “We see this as an opportunity to build stronger relationships with our shoppers through an e-commerce journey that truly embodies our brand’s promise of excellence in food and service. With the Mercatus platform, we’re excited to offer a wide range of services and options to make online shopping even more rewarding.”

Based in San Bernardino, Calif., Stater Bros. Markets operates 171 grocery store locations.