Strack & Van Til Pilots Curbside Pickup
Strack & Van Til is launching the first click-and-collect grocery shopping service in Northwest Indiana.
On the heels of its successful delivery partnership with Instacart in Chicago, Strack & Van Til is building on that success with a pilot curbside grocery pickup service at its supermarket on U.S. Highway 41 in Schererville, Ind. (PG’s January 2016 Store of the Month).
Starting today, shoppers can order meat, produce and other products from Strack & Van Til, have them picked, packed and checked out by a store employee, and have their orders loaded into their cars curbside.
Enhancing the shopping experience
“We’re very excited about piloting a pickup option for our customers,” said Jeff Strack, CEO of Strack & Van Til, which had been testing pickup options. “Our initial launch with Instacart for delivery in the Chicago area has been incredibly successful in a few short weeks. Customers everywhere are looking for ways to make the shopping experience more convenient and we believe curbside pickup will be a great fit for the Schererville customer. We are excited to extend our partnership with Instacart and provide our shoppers with another option.”
While Instacart is known for its delivery services, grocery pickup is a relatively new extension for the company. “Partnering with Strack & Van Til, an established grocer that has a loyal following, opens up a new market where we can leverage the Instacart technology platform to provide customers with time saving convenience in their weekly grocery shopping,” said Dave Osborne, general manager for Midwest markets at Instacart. “We are excited to further our partnership with Strack & Van Til to provide affordable, quality produce and groceries for customers in Northwest Indiana.”
Strack & Van Til and Instacart plan to expand service beyond the Schererville location after the initial pilot.
To order, customers visit www.Instacart.com or use the Instacart mobile app to shop, check out and select a pickup time window. A Strack & Van Til personal shopper accepts the order on a smartphone, uses the Instacart Shopper app to guide them through shopping, and then packs and stages the order for the customer for the designated curbside pickup window.
The first pickup is free; future orders cost $1.99 for pickup of orders over $35 (minimum order is $10).
Founded in 1960, Highland, Ind.-based Strack & Van Til operates 37 stores in Illinois and Indiana under the banner names Strack and Van Til, Ultra Foods, and Town and Country Market.