Bed Bath & Beyond is Partnering With Shipt and Instacart for Same-Day Delivery

Bed Bath & Beyond will begin offering same-day delivery service just in time for the holiday season, CNBC reported. This comes at a time when more consumers than ever are shopping online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The retailer will offer this service across 48 states in BB&B and Buy Buy Baby stores, however, shoppers need to reside in an eligible ZIP code in order to use it. The flat rate delivery fee for orders of more than $39 will be $4.99. To make this possible, Bed Bath & Beyond is partnering with Shipt, which is owned by Target, and Instacart. Consumers who already have a Shipt account will be eligible for free same-day shipping when they shop via the Shipt platform.

CNBC reported that Bed Bath & Beyond Chief Digital Officer Rafeh Masood feels it's most important to get this service up-and-running before the holidays to give consumers another safe option to shop.

Earlier this year, BB&B launched a buy online, pick up in-store option, as well as contactless curbside pickup. According to CNBC, the retailer's online sales grew 82 percent for the quarter that ended May 30, with surges of more than 100 percent during April and May. During these months, customers searched Bed Bath & Beyond and Buy Buy Baby's websites for diapers, hand sanitizer and more.

Total Retail's Take: Bed Bath & Beyond is the latest retailer to team up with a delivery service such as Instacart or Shipt as means to help them expedite the online order delivery process. In August, Walmart announced a partnership with Instacart to provide same-day shipping to customers, and Target has been offering same-day delivery via Shipt. With customers looking for ways to safely shop, while at the same time satisfying their need for instant gratification, same-day delivery has proven to be an increasingly popular offering from retailers and brands. Furthermore, it's a great option to provide this holiday season as an alternative to crowded brick-and-mortar stores, especially as consumers express reluctance to spending significant amount of time in public places. It will be interesting to see how many other retailers follow suit with their own same-day delivery options this holiday season, particularly as we get closer to gift-giving events.