Instacart Expands Alcohol Delivery Across The US

Instacart, the online grocery company, announced Tuesday (March 12) it has expanded alcohol delivery for customers across the U.S..

In a press release, Instacart said customers in 14 states, as well as Washington D.C., can now have alcohol delivered in as soon as an hour from national, regional and local grocers as well as wine and liquor stores. Companies from which alcohol can be delivered include Albertsons, Kroger, Publix, Schnucks and Stater Bros., along with wine and liquor specialty stores like BevMo!, Binny’s Beverage Depot, and Total Wine & More in select stores. Instacart said customers in participating states will now see a new in-app banner that lets them shop directly from beer, wine and spirit “aisles” of select retailers on the Instacart marketplace.

“Part of grocery shopping for many people goes beyond getting fresh produce, meats and pantry staples, and includes picking up the perfect bottle of wine for a dinner party or their favorite beer to sip while watching the big game,” Nilam Ganenthiran, chief business officer at Instacart, said in the press release. “By working alongside our retail partners to add alcohol to the marketplace, we’re offering customers more choice and making it easier for Instacart to be their ‘one-stop-shop’ to get the groceries they need — including beer, wine and spirits — from the retailers they love.”

Instacart had been gradually rolling out alcohol delivery over the last year, testing it with a small number of retail partners. With the expansion, the company said alcohol delivery via Instacart reaches more than 40 million households in the U.S. and is available from one-third of its 300-plus retail partners. Instacart alcohol delivery is now available in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Washington, D.C. The company said it will expand into more states as it is permitted to, with Nebraska and Michigan coming in the next few months.

“We couldn’t be more excited to work with Instacart’s extensive delivery network to create a fantastic customer experience,” Jewel Hunt, group vice president for eCommerce at Albertsons Companies, said in the release. “Now customers have the convenient option of rush delivery straight to their doorsteps for all of their grocery needs, from everyday essentials to fresh produce to that favorite bottle of wine for a special dinner.”