Instacart Intros Delivery Service for Small Businesses

Instacart made a name for itself hustling groceries from the supermarket to your front door. Now it wants to dash around delivering supplies to small businesses.

It's being called "Instacart Business" and the idea is to broaden the firm's client base and shore up its business to compensate for any decline in grocery deliveries now that the dust is settling on the pandemic.

Not that its business needs any shoring up at the moment. Instacart recorded sharply higher sales and profit in the fourth quarter, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company told employees today that its revenue increased more than 50% in the fourth quarter, compared with the same period a year earlier.

Instacart is spinning its new business as a time- and money-saver for small businesses.

"At Instacart, we believe that the cost of doing business shouldn't be so costly - especially for small businesses that are essential to the communities they serve," said Asha Sharma, COO of Instacart. "That's why today we're proud to announce the launch of Instacart Business. From stocking up on snacks in the office break room to getting last-minute supplies delivered to a family-owned restaurant, our affordable, convenient and flexible marketplace connects thousands of retailers to businesses nationwide, but with some new features tailor-made for this important community."

Already filling "millions of orders"

Instacart says it's already filling millions of orders from businesses each quarter, as clients struggled with supply-chain delays that can cause them to come up short on essential products.

Instacart Business allows purchasers easy access an affordable selection from retailers they already trust – with no monthly minimums, no additional contracts to shop and same-day delivery that allows businesses to "skip the ship" on prohibitive delivery fees, bypass costly employee runs to the store, and stock only the inventory they need at a given time, a news release from Instacart said.

It said it is partnering with Costco Business Center, Staples, Restaurant Depot, and BJ's Wholesale Club, as well as more than 1,100 national, regional and local retail banners to deliver from more than 80,000 stores across more than 14,000 cities in the U.S. and Canada.

Besides the potential boost to its revenue as it prepares for an initial public offering, Instacart is no doubt hoping to take bites out of Amazon, Walmart and other suppliers to small business.