How Edwards Food Giant and Edwards Cash Saver Simplified E-Commerce and Strengthened Accountability with Instacart Marketplace

Introduction: From Fragmented Delivery to a Reliable Experience

E-commerce has been central to Edwards Food Giant and Edwards Cash Saver’s business for years. The family-owned grocery chain operates 15 stores across Arkansas.

The Challenge: Scaling Delivery Without a Scalable System

Steve Edwards Jr., a third-generation family member and Special Projects Manager, launched the company’s in-house curbside pickup program in 2018. But as demand for delivery grew — especially after 2020 — the team found itself juggling multiple vendors and platforms, with accountability gaps that hurt the customer experience.

In late 2024, the team decided it was time to take a different approach, which included launching on the Instacart Marketplace.

“We’re competing directly with large national retailers. We’ve got to make sure that we are not losing some of that market share by not offering a delivery program.” — Steve Edwards Jr., Special Projects Manager, Edwards Food Giant

The Solution: Instacart Marketplace

Edwards Food Giant first launched on the Instacart Marketplace with its Cash Saver banner, later expanding to Food Giant locations.

What immediately stood out was accountability. With Instacart Marketplace, ordering, fulfillment, delivery, and customer support all operate within a single system. When issues arise, they’re resolved within that ecosystem — removing the burden from store teams.

“Being able to be hands-off with it is very helpful. If there’s an issue, I know that Instacart’s going to have it taken care of. Instacart is almost like having an extra office full of people down the hall that handles e-commerce.” — Steve Edwards Jr., Special Projects Manager, Edwards Food Giant

The Results: Driving Growth Through a Household Platform

Beyond operational simplicity, Instacart provided something independent grocers often struggle to build alone: reach.

Since launching on Instacart Marketplace in November 2024, they’ve seen the following year-over-year growth*:

• GMV increased by 141%
• Orders increased by 128%
• Users increased by 90%
• First-time orderers increased by 21.5%

In addition to the organic demand generated directly from Instacart, the Edwards team strategically runs promotions to build additional awareness throughout the year.

To reinforce visibility, the Edwards team invested in consistent in-store marketing. The result: customers see Instacart messaging at the entrance, in the aisles, online, and in weekly ads — keeping digital ordering top of mind without requiring complex infrastructure.

“You see those sales spike up — it’s just kind of a continuous cycle of trying to continue driving them to the platform. Offering promotions and discounts lower that barrier to entry for a lot of people who might be hesitant.” — Steve Edwards Jr., Special Projects Manager, Edwards Food Giant

Reliable Performance Without Added Complexity

Customer response has been steady and strong, with weekly ratings placed through the Instacart Marketplace consistently averaging around 4.6 out of a 5 star rating system.

For independent grocers, this balance is critical. Customers are no longer deciding whether to shop online — they’re deciding where. But building and maintaining a proprietary e-commerce ecosystem can stretch already limited resources. Instacart Marketplace offers a simple, scalable, and reliable path forward — combining e-commerce, delivery, and marketing reach within one turnkey platform.

By making e-commerce easy and profitable, Instacart enables independent grocers to compete effectively without sacrificing focus on their customers.

As Edwards put it, “Being on Instacart has made life so much easier for us.”

*Comparing January 1, 2025, to February 18, 2025, to the same period in 2026

Disclaimer: These results are based on store-level performance. Past performance is not indicative of future outcomes. Actual results may vary by store, region, and retailer.