Other new features include Pick Your Pickup mapping, which lets customers select the pickup location most convenient to their route each day, plus customized navigation and the option to send a friend or family member to collect an order in their place. And to round out the new additions, Instacart now offers alcohol pickup — in addition to delivery — from more than 20 partners, so you don’t need to make an extra stop for that crate of beer.
Instacart started out as a delivery service, but it seems to be increasingly focused on pickup options. Other major retailers already offer this, of course, but by adding these new features — and expanding to include booze, which would not be without its logistical challenges in terms of laws and ID — the company clearly wants to position itself at the go-to click-and-collect provider. Looking ahead, the company says it expects to double the number of stores offering pickups this year.
