US wholesale grocery distributor Merchants Distributors, known as MDI, is working with California-based retail tech company Instacart to improve ecommerce for its network of independent grocers.

Through this partnership, participating MDI independent grocers will join the Instacart App to offer customers same-day delivery and enabling Storefront Pro, Instacart’s end-to-end customisable ecommerce offering built for grocers.

“We’ve long admired MDI and how, for over 90 years, they have supported independent grocers with essential expertise, infrastructure and scale, so that they can thrive and grow,” said Nick Nickitas, general manager at Instacart. “It’s a privilege to team up with MDI and their retailers to enhance the guest experience with the adoption of Instacart’s platform. Together we’ll empower leading local grocers to deliver a seamless, flexible way to shop while preserving the local connection that sets them apart in the communities they serve. We’re so proud to partner with a distributor that’s leading the way in digital transformation for independent grocers.”

Storefront Pro gives MDI’s independent retail partners customisation capabilities and control over their digital storefronts, including access to data and analytic tools powered by Instacart’s technology to help identify growth opportunities. The independent grocers will also have access to complete, full-stack fulfilment technologies to power pickup and delivery.

The white-label ecommerce product will also give MDI’s independents the ability to unlock retail media capabilities by giving them access to Instacart Carrot Ads (www.instacart.com/company/retailer-platform/carrot-ads), enabling retailers to monetise their digital and physical footprint through a unified retail media network.

“As a wholesaler, it’s important that we equip our retail partners with the ability to connect with customers however they shop,” said Mary Kellmanson, senior vice president at MDI. “By powering our ecommerce service with Instacart, we’re able to support our independent retailers with a comprehensive option that gives us the merchandising flexibility we need to help our retailers grow their digital presence and better serve their communities”

With the rollout of Storefront Pro (www.instacart.com/company/retailer-platform/storefronts) and retailer availability on the Instacart App (www.instacart.com/company/retailer-platform/icapp), MDI’s independent retailers are positioned to bring an elevated omnichannel shopping experience to the communities they serve, while unlocking avenues for growth and customer engagement. MDI’s independent retailers join over 600 retail banners now leveraging Instacart’s white-label ecommerce offerings.

Instacart (www.instacart.com) partners more than 1800 national, regional and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from nearly 100,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace.

Founded in 1931, MDI (www.mdi.com) is a privately-owned wholesale grocery store distributor headquartered in Hickory, North Carolina. It supplies more than 600 retail food stores with food and non-food items, and exports to over 30 countries.