Instacart and Allegiance focus on connected omnichannel experience for indie grocers

Grocery technology company, Instacart, has announced an expanded partnership with Allegiance Retail Services, a retailer owned co-op, which supports more than 125 independently owned supermarkets across the US northeast.

This includes the introduction of Instacart’s Caper Carts at select Foodtown stores, alongside new omnichannel capabilities designed to unify Allegiance’s digital, loyalty, and in-store experiences.

Storefront Pro - Instacart’s enterprise commerce platform - is now powering e-commerce capabilities across all Allegiance retailers, and bringing Carrot Ads retail media tools to these businesses. In stores, its AI powered Caper Carts are live at Foodtown of Mt. Vernon (NY), Red Bank (NJ), and East Stroudsburg (PA), with additional deployments planned for 2026.

Allegiance is also expanding its use of FoodStorm - Instacart’s order management system for catering and prepared foods - with more store launches set for early this year. Carrot Tags, Instacart’s electronic shelf label software, will follow in upcoming phases.

“Independent grocers play a vital role in their communities, and we’re proud to work alongside Allegiance to equip their members with the tools they need to succeed and grow,” says Merrick Rosner, Head of Revenue and Solution Sales Independent Grocery at Instacart.

“Across the US, independent retailers using Instacart’s technology are achieving meaningful results - from substantial e-commerce growth to significant increases in profitability through retail media revenue. By expanding their partnership with Instacart, Allegiance is giving its members even more ways to grow by meeting customers wherever and however they shop.”

As part of the expansion, Instacart is partnering with Appcard, Allegiance’s loyalty provider, to deliver a unified loyalty rewards, digital promotions, and coupons across online and in-store shopping. Through integrations with Storefront Pro and Caper Carts, customers will now receive the same personalised deals and savings whether they’re ordering online or shopping in person.

“Our expanded partnership with Instacart reflects Allegiance’s commitment to innovation that enhances both the shopper and retailer experience,” says Donna Zambo, EVP, CMO, Allegiance Retail Services. “By aligning e-commerce, loyalty, and in-store innovation, we’re helping independent grocers meet evolving customer expectations while strengthening their competitive position.”

“Adopting Instacart’s suite of online technology solutions is an important milestone for our stores as we look to deliver a seamless omnichannel experience for our customers,” says Noah Katz, President, PSK Supermarkets. “We’re excited to strengthen our online presence with Instacart’s white label e-commerce solution, so our customers receive the same exceptional service whether they shop online or in-store.” 

“We’re thrilled to partner with Instacart to bring a new standard of loyalty and savings to independent grocers,” says Eran Harel, SVP Corporate Development and Strategic Partnerships at AppCard. “By combining AppCard’s personalised rewards and digital coupon capabilities with Instacart’s Storefront Pro platforms and Caper Carts, we’re helping retailers connect with their customers in more meaningful ways - bridging in-store and online experiences like never before.” 

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Omnichannel retail will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards will open for entries in April. They celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 15th October.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.