Toast (NYSE: TOST), an all-in-one digital technology platform designed for hospitality, and Instacart (NASDAQ: CART), a prominent grocery technology company in North America, have announced a strategic partnership aimed at streamlining operations for businesses across the United States. This collaboration will enable retailers to easily onboard and synchronize their brick-and-mortar inventory with the Instacart Marketplace, while offering restaurants a “just-in-time” solution for essential supplies.
Steve Fredette, Co-Founder and President of Toast, stated, “Whether helping a local grocery shop reach new customers online or enabling a restaurant to ensure the kitchen never runs out of key ingredients during a Friday night rush, this partnership with Instacart aims to help our customers never miss a beat as they run—and grow—their businesses.” He added that the initiative allows retail and restaurant customers to access North America’s largest grocery delivery marketplaces directly from the Toast platform, supporting revenue growth and operational efficiency.
Ryan Hamburger, Vice President of Commercial Partnerships at Instacart, commented on the synergy: “This partnership brings together two platforms that play complementary roles in how retailers and restaurants operate and grow.” He also expressed anticipation for expanding Instacart’s retailer base by integrating Toast’s retail partners and providing Toast restaurants access to the marketplace via Instacart Business for swift sourcing of produce and other necessities.
For retailers, the partnership provides streamlined onboarding to the Instacart Marketplace and continuous management, fostering an omnichannel approach for food and beverage businesses. By integrating with Instacart, Toast customers can expand their digital storefronts to reach more local consumers, creating new revenue streams, while Toast’s platform simplifies operational processes. The collaboration utilizes SKU data from Toast’s platform to ensure catalog and inventory alignment, facilitating frequent updates to keep online item availability consistent with in-store stock. Additionally, Toast’s SmartScan technology for barcode optimization, combined with Instacart’s catalog attribution workflows, will assist Toast retailers in becoming e-commerce ready by simplifying the process of adding new items to their Instacart storefront.
For restaurants, Instacart Business, Instacart’s B2B service for same-day deliveries, will serve as a procurement partner, supplying essentials such as fresh produce and pantry staples. This service aims to address last-minute needs, often within an hour, without disrupting restaurant operations. Restaurant operators and their teams will also gain access to Instacart Business offers, including an Instacart+ subscription that allows for team sharing and cash back on orders.
Toast and Instacart are scheduled to pilot these initiatives early this year, with a full rollout to all U.
S. customers expected later in the year.
