In the fast-paced world of foodservice and hospitality, supply chain inefficiencies can create significant challenges for distributors and the businesses they serve. From delays in truck dispatch and warehouse arrivals to heightened customer expectations for faster delivery times, these disruptions can result in costly ripple effects.
Since Instacart Business was created in 2022, we’ve heard about these challenges from our business customers, including scenarios like this one: a restaurant owner discovers mid-morning that they’re out of lettuce right before the lunch rush because their full order never arrived. When this happens, restaurant owners are forced to either go to the store, remove the item off their menu or call their distributor for support. If they’re lucky, their distributor will need to reactively support this “fill-in” request, which typically means high operational costs for same-day fulfillment or having a sales rep run the order – taking them away from actually selling into new accounts.
At Instacart, we recognize the complexity of these supply chain challenges and the growing demand for flexibility and speed in today’s retail food industry. That’s why we’re excited to unveil Will Call Delivery, a new offering tailored to ensure distributors can meet the needs of urgent, same-day “fill-in” orders (often referred to in the industry as “hot shot” deliveries) to keep customers happy and costs down.
The Power of Instacart’s Rapid Delivery Model
For more than a decade, Instacart has built its reputation on delivering grocery orders to households nationwide in as fast as an hour. With Will Call Delivery, we’re bringing that expertise to distributors and business operators in need of rapid fulfillment, offering a seamless, same-day solution for the most urgent supply needs.
Here’s how it works: Will Call Delivery is a white-label application built for distributors to streamline same-day ordering via their sales reps. Customers who need items fast can pick up their phones, text or call their sales reps–like they always do–and sales reps can request an Instacart shopper pick up items from the warehouse and deliver to their end customers – all in just a couple of clicks. Additionally, in order to better address out-of-stocks or service customers that are far from the warehouse, distributors have the ability to place orders from retailers on the Instacart Marketplace to ensure that customers are always getting the product they need quickly.
Will Call Delivery leverages Instacart’s network of highly skilled shoppers to provide same-day delivery of specific, high-priority items from distributor warehouses directly to restaurants, retailers, and other end customers. This personalized, targeted fulfillment option is perfect for urgent circumstances, like when a restaurant owner needs a case of limes or chicken breasts hours before the dinner rush.
Keeping Business Needs in Mind: Food Safety
Instacart’s longstanding expertise in consumer deliveries prioritizes the kind of food and product safety and quality that business customers need from their suppliers. All Instacart shoppers have access to comprehensive shopper educational modules covering a variety of food safety topics, including personal hygiene, cross-contamination, TCS foods, and storage and transportation tips. Customers can rest assured that groceries and perishable goods will arrive safely and on time for their business needs.
Proven Success Through Pilot Programs
We’ve been piloting Will Call Delivery with Gordon Food Service, one of the country’s leading foodservice distributors, and we’re already seeing the myriad of ways this new offering can simplify same-day delivery needs for end business operators and Gordon Food Service alike. Distributors benefit because Will Call Delivery offers a fast, dependable solution for fill-in orders, reducing operational strain and helping them deliver better service to their customers. Business operators—from restaurant owners to healthcare facilities to educational institutions—are better equipped to fill inventory gaps quickly, enabling them to continue delivering exceptional experiences to their customers.
“Our pilot with Instacart is allowing us to test ways to advance our customer-first approach and best-in-class service. We understand that our customers are changing, and this pilot is allowing us to find ways to address their urgent and varied needs, and augment our traditional models of serving our customers. To date, we’ve gained valuable insights from this model and it’s making us think differently,” says Joe Mott, Regional General Manager of Gordon Food Service.
“It has been extremely helpful to me and my staff when needing product in a timing manner. We love the ease of having items delivered with the rush of day to day kitchen operations. ” – Chef Tucker, Blackfinn Ameripub
With momentum from our Gordon Food Service pilot program, we’re expanding the service and partnering with additional distributors in 2025 to bring this solution to even more businesses. If you’re a distributor looking to explore an Instacart-powered Will Call Delivery option for your sales reps, please email us at business@instacart.com.
A Vision for the Future of Supply Chain Solutions
At Instacart, we understand an efficient supply chain is the backbone of every successful business. Whether you’re a distributor navigating tight schedules, or an operator striving to keep up with customer expectations, Will Call Delivery ensures you’re ready to respond quickly to your customers’ needs—because in an industry where timing is everything, speed and reliability matter most.
Stay tuned for updates on Will Call Delivery and even more technology that we’re building to support Distributors and Operators. Together, we’re building a future where every customer—from home cooks to restaurant owners and now, distribution partners—can count on fast, dependable solutions when they need them most.
Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America, partnering with more than 1,800 national, regional, and local retail banners to deliver from more than 100,000 stores across more than 15,000 cities in North America. To read more Instacart posts, you can browse the company blog or search by keyword using the search bar at the top of the page.
