Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, today announced it has acquired Rosie, the premier e-commerce platform for local and independent retailers and wholesalers. With this acquisition, Instacart is deepening its commitment to serving local and independent grocers and expanding its Instacart Platform e-commerce offerings.
Founded in Ithaca, NY in 2013, the Rosie team has spent nearly a decade building relationships and supporting local and independent retailers like Rosauers Supermarkets, Lee’s Marketplace, Niemann Foods, Inc., and Geissler’s Supermarkets across more than 40 states. Rosie offers independent grocers affordable and easy-to-use branded e-commerce websites and mobile app capabilities that power order flow, fulfillment, and customer insights. Rosie’s product features include shoppable weekly ads, store loyalty and rewards programs integrations, third-party fulfillment logistics integrations, payment processing and more – all developed for local and independent grocers. Rosie’s turnkey e-commerce solutions get grocers online quickly and efficiently, helping customers easily find and discover local stores.
With the acquisition of Rosie, Instacart is introducing new e-commerce solutions built specifically for local and independent retailers that complement the company’s existing Instacart Platform offerings. Through the Instacart Platform, Instacart is further enabling grocers to chart their own digital transformation through a suite of enterprise-grade technologies. With Instacart Platform, Instacart gives retailers access to the solutions behind Instacart’s consumer marketplace, helping retailers like Schnucks, Tops Friendly Markets, and The Fresh Market create new online and in-store solutions that enhance the customer experience and help their businesses grow.
“Our focus is on creating technology solutions that are tailor-made to meet the online and in-store needs of all grocers – whether they’re national chains or independently-owned and operated,” said Chris Rogers, Chief Business Officer at Instacart. “Local and independent grocers are so important to the grocery ecosystem. They have loyal customers, create meaningful job opportunities and serve as cornerstones of their communities. The Rosie team understands these grocers better than anyone, and that’s why we’re proud to welcome them to Instacart. Together, we’ll build more technologies that help independent grocers accelerate their pace of innovation so they can continue to compete, grow, and serve their customers however they choose to shop.”
Adding Rosie’s offerings to the Instacart Platform gives more retailers access to tools and technologies that can lead to growth in their businesses and deeper engagement with their customers – all while retaining their unique store experience and brand identity. Through this acquisition, Rosie customers will have the opportunity to utilize Instacart’s in-store offerings like Foodstorm’s order management system and Caper’s smart cart and checkout technology, the Instacart shopper network to help support new picking and fulfillment options, Carrot Ads and loyalty programs to increase customer engagement and affordability, and more.
“For nearly a decade, our team has lived, breathed, and devoted ourselves to the success of local independent grocers and I couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve accomplished together,” said Nick Nickitas, Founder and CEO of Rosie. “Instacart’s mission of powering the future of grocery is closely aligned with our own, and I’m confident that combining our teams and technologies is the way to best continue serving these important retailers. Together, we will continue to innovate and build easy to use and affordable digital solutions that help our retailer, wholesaler, and brand partners thrive and better meet the needs of their customers.”
“For nearly 90 years, Rosauers has served communities throughout the Pacific Northwest and we strive to give our guests as many avenues to shop our stores as possible,” said Cliff Rigsbee, President and CEO of Rosauers. “With the help of Rosie, we have an award-winning in-store experience and a highly customized branded online shopping experience that enables everything from EBT-SNAP payment processing to digital merchandising. Instacart and Rosie together will be a winning combination for our business and customers.”
“As a local grocer our roots began with delivering groceries almost 100 years ago. Now, in our 4th generation of family ownership, we continue that same tradition through our partnership with Rosie. Helping our communities grow, and nourishing them with the best in local and fresh products, wouldn’t be possible without the robust platform Rosie provides,” said Robert Rybick, President and CEO of Geissler’s Supermarket. “We have always pushed Rosie to meet or exceed our in-store experience online, and with a combined Rosie and Instacart we are excited for the new possibilities that will further allow us to bring the best local and fresh products to our customers and communities.”
Jason Sokol, Vice President of Marketing at Associated Foods Stores shared, “For over 8 years, I’ve experienced all that Rosie has to offer, from shopping on the platform and promoting it as a marketer, to operating it as a retailer and recommending it to other independent stores as a wholesaler. I’m excited about the possibilities that Instacart and Rosie can deliver together – their combined software platforms, extensive support capabilities, and deep relationships will help all independently-owned retailers across the country compete and win.”
Moving forward, the Rosie team will lead Instacart’s business strategy and technology development for local independent grocers, as Instacart continues to build best-in-class e-commerce and fulfillment solutions for this critical segment of the grocery industry.
