Skip and Instacart are expanding their respective delivery offerings in Canada through a new partnership that will give customers access to grocery, retail and restaurant orders across both platforms.
Under the agreement, Skip customers can access Instacart’s grocery and retail marketplace through the Skip app, while Instacart customers can order from Skip’s network of more than 50,000 national and local restaurant partners through the Instacart app.
Expanded delivery networks
The partnership broadens the range of products and services available to customers on both platforms, with access spanning groceries, restaurants, beauty products, household essentials and other retail items. Skip customers will be able to access Instacart’s network of more than 130 retail banners and 9,000 locations in Canada through the Skip app.
“This partnership represents a pivotal moment in Skip’s evolution,” said Paul Burns, CEO of Skip. “We have grown far beyond our roots in restaurant delivery to become an essential, all-in-one destination for Canadians. Through our Instacart partnership, Skip now offers an unprecedented breadth of grocery, everyday essentials and products. We’re allowing Canadians to Skip to the good part through a seamlessly integrated shopping experience, combining Instacart’s proven grocery leadership and technology with Skip’s unparalleled local reach.”
For Instacart customers, the partnership adds Skip’s restaurant network to the grocery technology company’s app, allowing users to browse and order from more than 50,000 restaurants. Restaurant orders will be fulfilled by Skip couriers.
“Instacart has built its reputation by delivering the online grocery ordering experience Canadians trust,” said Ryan Hamburger, Chief Commercial Officer of Instacart. “Partnering with Skip provides Instacart customers the convenience of ordering restaurant delivery through our app, and it lets us meet new Skip grocery customers right where they like to shop. Together, we’re making it easier than ever for Canadians to get what they need, whether it’s a week’s worth of groceries or their favourite restaurant meal.”
How the partnership works
Skip customers accessing grocery and retail offerings will select the grocery icon in the Skip app and browse participating retailers through Instacart. After selecting a store, customers will be redirected to Instacart’s platform to view its live catalogue and place their order.
Instacart shoppers will pick the orders in stores, including selecting fresh produce, checking expiration dates, managing substitutions and handling fragile items. The completed orders will then be delivered through the Instacart service.
Instacart customers can access Skip’s restaurant network by selecting the restaurant icon in the Instacart app. After choosing a restaurant, customers follow the in-app prompts to place an order, with a Skip courier delivering the food.
The companies are also offering membership-related delivery fee benefits. Skip+ members will receive $0 delivery fees on Instacart-powered grocery and retail orders, while Instacart+ members will receive $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on restaurant orders through Skip, subject to the terms and conditions outlined by the companies.
Launch promotions
Skip is marking the partnership with a promotional campaign in Toronto and Calgary featuring a large grocery cart installation showcasing products available through the new arrangement. The company also said some participants will have the opportunity to win groceries for a month, with contest details available through Skip’s Instagram account as of Oct. 6.
Skip is also offering 40 per cent off Instacart-powered orders of $35 or more, up to a maximum discount of $15, while quantities last.
Skip, which began as a startup in the Prairies in 2012, said it now operates in more than 450 Canadian cities and towns and works with more than 50,000 local restaurants, grocery, convenience and retail partners.
Instacart said it works with more than 2,200 retail banners representing nearly 100,000 stores. The company operates its Marketplace, Enterprise platform and Ads ecosystem, providing ecommerce, fulfillment, in-store technology, AI offerings and advertising services for its retail partners.
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