For the first time ever and exclusively from Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ:
WFM), Instacart
is offering Valentine’s flowers delivered in as little as one hour
across 15 major US metros. With prices starting at approximately $25 and
the ability to include other romantic essentials from Whole Foods
Market, this new model offers a more convenient and affordable
alternative to traditional floral delivery, all with blooms that have
higher standards like Whole
Trade® or Responsibly
Grown ratings.
Between Feb. 9 and 15, customers can log into Instacart.com
or the Instacart mobile app and choose from three bouquet options, then
use the “notes” feature to specify their preferred color* and what they
would like to say on a handwritten card. Customers also choose a
delivery window within one hour, within two hours, or at a scheduled
time. Orders can be placed up to five days in advance.
Three bouquet options are available on Instacart from Whole Foods
Market: a dozen red Whole Trade roses, a dozen non-red Whole Trade roses
(colors vary by region) and a 20-stem bouquet of tulips. Each bouquet
will come wrapped in festive paper.
In addition to ordering flowers, customers can use Instacart’s
Valentine’s Day “aisle” to find chocolates, specialty cheeses,
lotions or other romantic items, all curated by Whole Foods Market
experts and available for delivery with the bouquet. All Instacart
customers receive free delivery on their first order; thereafter the
cost is just $3.99 for two-hour delivery or $5.99 for one-hour delivery.
All the roses offered are Whole
Trade, a certification-partnership program that ensures better wages
and working conditions for farm workers, fair prices to producers and
supports community improvement programs. Also, the roses and most
tulips** offered are rated under Whole Foods Market’s new Responsibly
Grown program, which means they come from farms that are taking major
steps to protect air, soil, water and human health.
“Our idea of a perfect match is quality and convenience, and that’s
exactly what we’re offering customers with our Whole Trade Valentine’s
Day flowers and chocolates, plus great everyday essentials delivered by
Instacart,” said David Lannon, executive vice president of operations
for Whole Foods Market. “This is a good example of the innovative and
affordable new experiences our partnership with Instacart can
offer, fulfilling the mission of making customers’ lives easier while
delivering on our highest quality standards.”
“This unprecedented Valentine’s Day solution demonstrates our companies’
shared commitment to innovation, value and service,” said Apoorva Mehta,
CEO and founder of Instacart. “What better time than now to offer
customers a way to spend more time with loved ones, and less time
running errands. Inexpensive delivery rates and Whole Foods Market’s
higher quality flowers also mean customers are getting far more value
for their Valentine’s dollar.”
* Flower colors are subject to availability on the day of delivery.
** The Responsibly Grown program is still rolling out across
Whole Food Market stores nationwide. While all flowers are not yet
rated, shoppers will find plenty of “GOOD”, “BETTER” or “BEST” rated
options to choose from.
About Whole Foods Market®
Founded in 1978 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market is the leading
retailer of natural and organic foods, the first national “Certified
Organic” grocer, and uniquely positioned as America’s Healthiest Grocery
Store®. In fiscal year 2014, the Company had sales of approximately $14
billion and currently operates more than 400 stores in the United
States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods Market employs
approximately 87,000 team members and has been ranked for 17 consecutive
years as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America by FORTUNE
magazine. For more information, please visit www.wholefoodsmarket.com/values-matter.
About Instacart
Instacart is the only service that can deliver groceries on demand from
multiple stores within an hour. Founded in San Francisco, Instacart is
now available in major cities across the US, delivering from both local
grocery stores and national chains such as Whole Foods Market, Safeway,
Shaw’s, BJ’s Wholesale and Costco. Using an innovative crowdsourced
approach, Instacart relies on a pool of thousands of trained Personal
Shoppers who empower stores to deliver groceries to customers in a fast
and cost-effective way. Learn more at www.Instacart.com.
Copyright Business Wire 2015