FoodStorm Enhances In-Store Ordering: New Features Help Grocers Boost Deli, Bakery, and Prepared Foods Sales

Whether you’re grabbing a made-to-order sandwich for lunch or picking up a custom cake for a special celebration, customers increasingly expect digital ordering options at their local grocery stores’ perimeter counters. That’s why we’re excited to announce that FoodStorm, Instacart’s order management system (OMS), is introducing new enhancements to our in-store kiosk ordering and kitchen display system (KDS). 

These improvements help grocers modernize their fresh food service departments – including deli counters, bakers, and prepared foods sections – while meeting growing customer demand for convenient ordering options. As consumer expectations for digital real-time ordering become the norm, grocers need robust solutions to streamline production and enhance the customer experience.

With FoodStorm’s kiosk solution, grocers can:

• Capture additional sales during busy periods when staff are occupied
• Expand their online customizable ordering options
• Improve product discovery through interactive browsing experiences 
• Drive higher sales with smart upselling features for premium ingredients and add-ons 
• Enable real-time ordering tracking via SMS or email for customer convenience 

Our upgraded KDS software helps store team members manage orders more efficiently by:

• Displaying orders clearly as  “Active,” “Upcoming,” or “Complete” for timely production
• Providing notifications when new orders enter the queue
• Allowing departments to temporarily go offline during busy periods
• Enabling multiple departments to work on the same order simultaneously 
• Offering an intuitive touchscreen interface for order management 

“We first launched with the FoodStorm order management system in September 2024 to support our prepared foods, made-to-order sandwiches, catering, floral and gift baskets offerings,” said Auri Garcia, eCommerce Operation Manager at The Raley’s Companies. “The results have been fantastic for both our customers and team members. With FoodStorm’s new release of in-store ordering kiosk and kitchen display system enhancements, we are excited to launch these products and meet customer expectations in-store through a digitized ordering experience, and provide our team members with even more streamlined production tools and features to grow our perimeter businesses.”

At Instacart, we’re committed to helping grocers streamline and enhance their prepared food operations. FoodStorm’s comprehensive system manages the entire process – from ordering and preparation to pick up – across bakery,deli items, catering and even floral arrangements. By facilitating smoother order fulfillment, optimizing inventory management, and providing great customer service, we’re helping retailers maximize sales and meet evolving consumer expectations.

To learn more about Instacart Platform technology, including FoodStorm, to power your grocery business, click the button below to submit a Retailer Inquiry form.

If you’re interested in Instacart Platform technology for your grocery business, click the button below to submit a Retailer Inquiry form.

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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.