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Tops brings Instacart delivery to more stores

Rollout marks chain’s largest expansion this year

Russell Redman

June 18, 2018

2 Min Read
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Tops Friendly Markets has launched Instacart same-day delivery in nine new upstate New York communities, which the regional grocer called its biggest expansion of the service to date.

Online grocery delivery via Instacart, which Tops began late last year, is now available at stores in Dunkirk, Mayville, Silver Creek, Westfield, Rhinebeck, New Paltz, Greenville, Coxsackie and Tannersville, N.Y. To promote the service, the retailer is offering customers $10 off their first Instacart order of $35 or more through Sept. 1 when they enter the code “TopsSummer” at the TopsMarkets.com/Instacart website.

With the latest rollout, Tops has enabled Instacart delivery at 125 of its 169 supermarkets, or nearly three-quarters of its locations. The grocer’s stores are located in New York, northern Pennsylvania and Vermont.

“This is Tops’ fifth and largest expansion of Instacart services since the beginning of 2018,” Edward Rick, director of consumer marketing and digital at Tops, said in a statement. “We are so excited each and every time we expand the outreach of Instacart to reach more and more of our customers, as we know this added convenience helps give them back time in their already busy schedules.” 

Tops unveiled its partnership with Instacart in November and kicked off same-day delivery in the Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, N.Y., markets and the Erie, Pa., area heading into the Thanksgiving holiday. The following month, the service was broadened to stores in Jamestown and Elmira, N.Y.

So far this year, Tops has expanded Instacart to Rome, Poughkeepsie, Olean, Cortland, Watertown and Carmel, N.Y., as well as to additional stores in the Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse markets.

The Williamsville, N.Y.-based supermarket chain noted that the Instacart partnership extends the reach of its stores, providing access to online grocery shopping and delivery for customers in both urban and rural areas. The retailer said Instacart will deliver to addresses within a 20-minute drive time from its participating stores.

Shoppers using the service can order most products available in stores, including thousands of items in frozen, produce, meat, seafood and prepared foods, Tops said. Delivery can be scheduled for one or two hours, depending on the availability of Instacart personal shoppers. Customers can view delivery times for their area after creating a shopping list and then clicking “checkout” on Instacart’s virtual store. Tops BonusPlus card and GasPoints members also can access savings, rewards and points when using Instacart.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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