Get started with Storefront

When you implement Storefront, you get a retailer-branded e-commerce site in the domain of your choice. You can also request retailer-branded apps for iOS and Android.

Request

1. Ensure that you are set up on Instacart Marketplace. For more information, contact your Instacart representative.

   note

   The catalog you set up for Instacart Marketplace is shared with your Instacart Storefront site.

2. (Optional) Create mobile apps developer accounts for Android and iOS. For more information, see Mobile apps.

3. Collect the following information to use for the intake form:

   • Retailer name.
   • Trademark holder of the retailer name.
   • Domain for the e-commerce site. You can use the default Instacart domain, which results in a URL like retailer.instacart.com, or you can specify a retailer-owned domain, such as shop.example-retailer.com/.
   • ZIP code/postal code of the retailer's largest store.
   • Brand colors as hex values.
   • Logo with recommended dimensions of 468x468 pixels as a PNG or JPG file. If you use a larger size, maintain a ratio of 1:1 (width:height).
   • Text to show on the login page. For example, "Groceries delivered to your door."

4. Fill in and submit the intake form.

After your request is submitted, an Instacart representative will contact you. During this time, a standard e-commence site is set up using the requested URL and the details and assets that you provided in the intake form. If you also want to use mobile apps, your representative arranges for the apps to be created with the details and assets that you specify in the intake form plus some additional information.

note

App development might take longer to complete than the e-commerce site implementation. You can choose to launch the apps at the same time as the e-commerce site or at a later date.

Your Instacart representative also sets up your retailer account on Instacart Platform Portal. Instacart Platform Portal is your tool for analyzing performance, viewing order status, and more.

Your representative creates administrator accounts for the people you select. The administrators can then create user accounts for other people in your organization and assign roles and permissions. For more information, see Manage users.

Verify

Your e-commerce site launches with password protection so you can review and verify it before customers can access it. You can also review your mobile apps before they become available in the app stores.

Because all standard implementations of Instacart Storefront are similar, Instacart runs basic tests to verify that the implementation is accurate. If any custom capabilities were in scope and implemented, these capabilities receive additional testing.

You must perform your own testing before you sign off on launch. Your testing should be as robust as you deem necessary.

1. At minimum, run through the following exercises:

   • Verify the storefront looks as you expected.
   • Verify the navigation, departments, and aisles match your catalog.
   • Sign up for an account.
   • Log in to an account.
   • View product details.
   • Add items to a cart.
   • Check out a cart.
   • Place an order for delivery.
   • Place an order for pickup (if applicable).
   warning

   The site is a live production site, so orders are fulfilled. If you don't want an order fulfilled, book it for a future date and cancel it promptly.

2. Report any issues to your Instacart representative. Your representative helps you to prioritize the issues and determine if any of the issues are blockers to launch.

Launch

When you are ready to launch your e-commerce site and apps, contact your Instacart representative.

Some common launch activities include the following:

Activity	Owner
Remove the password-protection from the e-commerce site.	Instacart
If apps were requested and timed to coincide with the site launch, ensure the apps are available for download in the app stores.	Instacart
Set up a URL on your corporate site that redirects to your e-commerce site. The redirect can be useful for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes. For example, you can create retailer.com/delivery and redirect it to shop.example-retailer.com/.	Retailer
Add a promotional banner on the retailer's corporate website. Include a link to your e-commerce site and links to the apps in the app stores (if applicable).	Retailer

After launch, log in to Instacart Platform Portal to view metrics associated with your e-commerce site. Your Instacart representative sets up administrator accounts in Instacart Platform Portal. Your administrator can create additional accounts for people in your organization. For more information, see Instacart Platform Portal.

Enhance

While your customers are shopping on your sites and apps, you can explore ways to enhance your customers' experience and add more capabilities. Review the optional capabilities in Enhance your storefront. Work with your Instacart representative to update the sites and apps.