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Retailer structures

Instacart Storefront Pro supports diverse retailer structures, from simple to highly complex structures. These structures are categorized based on the relationships between parent organizations and their affiliated banners or stores. Select the structure that best fits your organizational needs.

The following terms are used to describe the retailer structures:

  • Partner. A parent organization that manages sites across all banners and stores under the parent organization.
  • Banner. A named affiliate or subsidiary operated by the partner.
  • Store. A store location that operates under a partner's banner.
  • Site. An ecommerce storefront.
  • Virtual partner. An organization that manages banners on behalf of other partners.

Single banner structure​

A single banner structure (also known as a simple retailer model) is a one-to-one relationship between a partner and its banner. It's ideal for smaller businesses that manage just one banner and its associated stores.

Multi-banner structures​

Available on request means that the feature is turned off by default. To turn on a feature, contact your Instacart representative.

Multi-banner structures (also known as complex retailer models) refer to the unique ownership and operational configurations that retailers can use. These structures involve managing multiple banners under one parent organization.

Partner with multiple banners​

In this multi-banner structure, a partner manages more than one banner. At the banner level, access is restricted to their designated stores. For example, Fresh Grocery can manage only the stores within their banner, and the same applies to Neighbor Pharmacy.

The following image shows a structure where a partner manages two banners:

Wholesaler with multiple partners​

The wholesaler model can take the multi-banner structure further. A wholesaler is an intermediary that provides goods and services to individual retailers. This includes product sourcing with bulk discounts, merchandising, marketing, and technical support for their online storefronts.

In Storefront Pro, wholesalers are designated as virtual partners. A virtual partner operates on behalf of the partners, giving them the ability to manage stores across multiple partners within a two-tier structure.

The following image shows a retailer structure where a wholesaler is a virtual partner:

For example, a wholesaler with two different partners can use Instacart Platform Portal to create a custom homepage for each partner. In the custom homepage tool, the wholesaler can then manage both homepages, while the partners can access only their own homepage. For more information about how virtual partners can select the appropriate scope in Instacart Platform Portal, see Select a scope.

To determine the retailer structure that fits your needs, contact your Instacart representative. With virtual partners, Storefront Pro can support most complex business structures.