Dive Brief:

• Instacart announced on Thursday it has expanded its partnership with Canadian food and pharmacy operator Metro. The e-commerce company is now providing customers of the retailer’s Adonis banner and discount formats Super C and Food Basics with delivery service in as little as an hour.
• Along with the expanded Metro tie-up, Instacart said it has also started offering same-day delivery from bulk foods retailer Bulk Barn. 
• The announcements continue Instacart's efforts this year to expand its number of retailer partnerships and advertising business in Canada.

Dive Insight:

Instacart and Metro linked up earlier this year on same-day delivery, and the e-commerce provider now handles delivery from more than 180 Metro stores across Canada. The “strong customer response” to the offering prompted the expansion of the partnership to Food Basics, Super C and Adonis customers in Ontario and Quebec, Christina Bédard, vice president of e-commerce and digital strategy at Metro, said in the announcement.

Bédard noted that customers shopping online through Instacart are getting the same prices as in-store shoppers coupled with the convenience of delivery in as soon as an hour. 

That emphasis on matching in-store prices online comes as consumers have been battling ongoing high inflation for months. 

Along with the new grocery banners, Instacart said it has added same-day delivery from pharmacy retailer Rexall, clothing and lifestyle retailer The Bay, and home goods and decor retailer Linen Chest.

In 2022, Instacart added more than 20 Canadian retail banners to its app. Instacart now delivers from more than 4,000 stores across all of the country’s provinces. 

Since its entering Canada with a Loblaw tie-up announced in late 2017, Instacart now works with the country’s top five grocers and counts Costco, Walmart Canada and Loblaw among its partners. 

Instacart made its advertising business available in Canada in May, the announcement noted. That same month, Instacart announced it linked up with more than 10 retailers in the country, including Metro, discount retailer Giant Tiger and specialty grocer Galleria Supermarket.

“We look forward to serving even more retailers and brands next year with our e-commerce and advertising offerings, making it more convenient for Canadians to shop from their favorite stores and discover new products,” Chris Rogers, chief business officer at Instacart, said in the announcement.