Stop & Shop enhances e-commerce capabilities to meet pandemic demand

A Northeast regional grocer is bulking up its e-commerce infrastructure amid a continuing COVID-19-driven online shopping surge.

Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC, a division of Ahold Delhaize USA, is taking multiple steps to increase its ability to fulfill online orders. The retailer will add three new warerooms and offer curbside pickup of online orders in at least 50 more stores in 2020.

Currently, Stop & Shop operates one warehouse and 21 warerooms across its footprint. The grocer also offers four-hour curbside pickup of online orders placed via Ahold’s Peapod.com platform at 212 stores.

In addition, Stop & Shop also recently expanded its availability on Instacart to 321 locations, making same-day, contactless delivery available now from more than 75% of its stores. Customers can visit Instacart.com or download the Instacart app to shop and have the opportunity to utilize their Stop & Shop loyalty card to earn fuel points at checkout.

Furthermore, Stop & Shop has hired more than 750 associates since March to support its online operations.

"By adding new warerooms, additional locations for pickup and expanding our partnership with Instacart, we’re rapidly accelerating our e-commerce capacity and making it possible for more customers to shop how and when they want with us,” said Gordon Reid, president of Stop & Shop. “Creating a seamless omnichannel experience was a strategic priority for us prior to the pandemic, and with the increased demand we’ve seen over the last several months, it’s more important than ever that we deliver improved digital solutions and online fulfillment for our customers to shop for the food and other groceries they need.”

“Instacart is proud to expand our partnership with Stop & Shop as we work to ensure busy people and families in communities across the country have access to same-day delivery from their favorite store,” said Andrew Nodes, VP of retail, Instacart.

Stop & Shop operates over 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey.