Dive Brief:

• Online meat seller ButcherBox has launched an online storefront on Instacart, the companies announced in a press release on Friday. Shoppers in the New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston and Miami areas will have access first before the service expands to other metros this summer.
• The storefront offers 10 different protein boxes that start at $99 and include grass-fed cuts as well as grass-finished beef, chicken and pork. Third-party delivery firms like FedEx will handle shipments, with orders reaching customers in one to four days.
• This mark’s Instacart’s second integration with a direct-to-consumer company, and is part of ButcherBox’s push beyond its .com site.

Dive Insight:

Instacart is known primarily for brick-and-mortar integrations, but the ButcherBox deal shows the potential for online sellers to also tap into the company’s vast audience.

Late last year, Instacart and Drinks launched The Wine Shop, which offers wine bundles to shoppers in 39 states and Washington, D.C. An Instacart spokesperson declined to say if more partnerships with online sellers are in the works, noting that the company is always exploring new opportunities. 

For ButcherBox, the new storefront highlights the company’s goal to get its brand in front of more consumers. Although online food sellers saw a rush of sales early in the pandemic, spending has gravitated back to mainstream channels as well as brick-and-mortar retailers. 

“We’ve always had our eye on new ways consumers would interact with our brand aside [from] just buying direct from us on ButcherBox.com,” Mike Salguero, founder of ButcherBox, said in a statement. “Our partnership with Instacart enables us to reach even more consumers with the click of a button.” 

In an interview earlier this year, Salguero said ButcherBox also wants to get its products on grocery shelves, following in the footsteps of other direct-to-consumer retailers like Public Goods, Harry’s and Casper.  

“The vast majority of people are purchasing in a grocery store,” Salguero said.

ButcherBox, which appeals to meat lovers with bulk protein boxes and subscription plans, recently launched a fully cooked meat line and new seafood options. Salguero said he’s optimistic about ButcherBox’s prospects, noting the dearth of well-known brands in meat and high demand for humanely raised meats like what his company sources.

“There are a few meat brands that people know but it's very, very small. And there's no brand that's known for doing things how we do,” he said.  

A December report from Second Measure showed online meat sellers like Omaha Steaks and Crowd Cow managed to keep sales high several months into the pandemic. Retailers are starting to experiment in the space, as well, with Sam’s Club now shipping steaks and grass-fed beef nationwide.