Instacart helps grocers take on takeout

Instacart is launching an app experience that makes it possible for shoppers to get hundreds of ready-made meals delivered from their favourite grocer in as little as 30 minutes.

Instacart customers can shop hundreds of meals via the Ready Meals Hub in the Instacart App, a new in-app destination featuring prepared foods from grocers such as Publix, Giant, Food Lion, Hannaford, Stop & Shop, Martin’s and Kroger. 

From freshly prepared grab-and-go salads and sandwiches from Publix, to soups and sushi from Kroger, to rotisserie chicken from Food Lion, customers across 35 states can order prepared meals from more than 4,100 grocery stores.

“With our new Ready Meals Hub, we’re dishing up inspiring, more affordable and nutritious food alternatives to restaurant delivery that make it easier for consumers to break up with takeout this year. We’re also helping retailers drive more sales and increase their ‘share of stomach’ when it comes to their customers’ daily mealtime decisions,” said Daniel Danker, head of product of Instacart. 

Ready Meal Hub launches as concern around inflation mounts and consumers seek value when it comes to mealtime solutions. Additionally, according to food industry association FMI, ready-made foods can play a big part in people’s daily food prep: most meals in North America are prepared at home (73%), but the majority of these meals involve a combination of prepared and from-scratch elements (55%), and most include time-saving “ready-to-eat” items like pre-made salads and ready-to-eat meat as elements (64%).

A version of this article appeared at ProgressiveGrocer.com.