FoodStorm’s New Holiday Tools: Easier Ordering, Tracking, and Fulfillment

FoodStorm Holiday Blog_Header

Rob Hill

The holidays are approaching, and consumers are looking for quick and easy ways to shop - whether it’s a few small items or the centerpiece of their festive meal. For grocers, it’s the perfect time to help customers celebrate with a seamless shopping and catering experience.That’s where FoodStorm, Instacart’s order management system (OMS), comes in. This holiday season, FoodStorm is introducing new tools that make selling, tracking, and fulfilling orders simpler than ever - so retailers can stay focused on delivering delicious, stress-free celebrations.
  • Easier selling for weighted items: Retailers now have more flexibility when selling open-weight items, like prime rib or steak. They can set typical increments, order minimums, and maximums (for example, 5lb min, 17.5lb max) and reconcile total weight in one action - so customers are only charged once. That means no confusion at checkout and a smoother process that helps prevent shrinkage or overcharging.
  • Smarter inventory tracking: Instead of tracking open-weight items by unit, retailers can now manage them by total weight. This ensures more accurate stock counts and makes it easier to pull from the right inventory pool - reducing errors, preventing out-of-stocks, and keeping shelves (and customers) happy.
  • Faster barcode scanning in-store: Associates can now scan or enter barcodes directly from the Pickup Order screen using the new “Scan or Enter UPC” button. This feature automatically reconciles weighted items, checks off standard items, and prompts users to add new items if needed. Additionally, weight-change warnings are now dynamic to simplify fulfillment - resulting in faster and more accurate order processing every time.
"We’ve already seen how FoodStorm’s new tools make a real difference during busy seasons,” said Taylor Goodman, eCommerce Program Manager at New Seasons Market. “They’ve helped us cut down on errors, simplify fulfillment for our staff, and deliver a smoother, faster experience for our customers.”Powering Holiday Catering Across the CountryCreated with retailers and their customers in mind, FoodStorm is now available at over 3,000 locations1, streamlining prepared food operations across order, prep, and pickup - whether that’s a holiday prime rib, a catering order of sandwiches, or even seasonal florals. With FoodStorm, retailers can ensure a smoother fulfillment process, smarter inventory management, and a better customer experience.FoodStorm Holiday Blog_Retailer MapRetailers Offering Holiday Catering Through FoodStormWest Coast
  • Bi-Rite 
    • Platters, boxed lunches, hot entrées, vegan & vegetarian options, and desserts.
  • Gelson’s 
    • Platters, sushi trays, sandwiches, and holiday meals.
  • New Seasons 
    • Fresh seasonal entrées, sides, salads, and desserts.
  • Lucky 
    • Party platters, deli trays, sandwiches, and bakery favorites.
  • Draeger's 
    • Signature platters, fine-dining entrées, desserts, and wine pairings.
  • Town & Country Markets 
    • Family-style meals, seafood platters, and bakery items.
  • Murphy's Markets 
    • Sandwich platters, deli trays, and fresh-made sides.
  • Andy’s Local Market 
    • Gourmet meals, BBQ packages, and local baked goods.
  • Woodlands Market 
    • Chef-prepared entrées, party platters, and desserts.
  • Luke’s Local
    • Holiday meals, sides and desserts.
  • Mother’s Market
    • Full holiday meals, vegan options, premium sides and desserts.
MidwestEast CoastSouthwest & MountainMulti-RegionWith FoodStorm, retailers can handle orders with speed and accuracy - keeping operations smooth, associates efficient, and customers delighted throughout the busiest season of the year.👉 Interested in learning more? Click the button below to submit a Retailer Inquiry formGet Started

1 Includes growth in the number of stores using FoodStorm from December 31, 2024 to September 30, 2025.

Rob Hill

Rob Hill

Author

Rob Hill joined Instacart as General Manager, Order Ahead in August 2021 as part of the FoodStorm acquisition and leads the cross functional teams enabling order ahead retailer solutions as part of Instacart’s Connected Stores strategy. As the CEO of FoodStorm, Rob led the strategic direction and global growth of the business and is particularly passionate about driving business impact through technology. Rob has extensive experience leading SaaS businesses worldwide, having led multiple startup’s global scale up’s across North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific in industries spanning retail, hospitality, supply chain and education. Rob is a graduate of Swinburne University of Technology’s Bachelor of Information Technology scholarship program, and an alumni of Harvard Business School. He lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two young children.

Cutting tomatoes on a cutting board after grocery delivery.