E-commerce platform Rosie of Ithaca is now part of Instacart

ITHACA, N.Y. — Rosie, the Ithaca–based e-commerce platform for local and independent retailers and wholesalers, has a new owner. 

San Francisco–based Instacart, a grocery technology company, on Sept. 7 announced it has purchased Rosie for an undisclosed sum.

Rosie operates at 171 E. State St. in Ithaca. On its website, it now refers to itself as an Instacart company.

Instacart tells CNYBJ that Rosie will maintain its operations in Ithaca but wasn’t able to provide specific figures on the number of Rosie employees joining the firm.

With this acquisition, Instacart says it is “deepening its commitment” to serving local and independent grocers and expanding its Instacart Platform e-commerce offerings. The company didn’t release any terms of its acquisition agreement with Rosie.

In acquiring Rosie, Instacart is introducing new e-commerce services built specifically for local and independent retailers that complement the company’s existing Instacart Platform offerings. Through the Instacart Platform, Instacart contends it is “further enabling grocers to chart their own digital transformation through a suite of enterprise-grade technologies.” 

With Instacart Platform, Instacart says it gives retailers access to the solutions behind Instacart’s consumer marketplace, helping retailers like Tops Friendly Markets, create new online and in-store solutions that “enhance the customer experience and help their businesses grow.”

“Our focus is on creating technology solutions that are tailor-made to meet the online and in-store needs of all grocers — whether they’re national chains or independently-owned and operated,” Chris Rogers, chief business officer at Instacart, said in a news release. “Local and independent grocers are so important to the grocery ecosystem. They have loyal customers, create meaningful job opportunities and serve as cornerstones of their communities. The Rosie team understands these grocers better than anyone, and that’s why we’re proud to welcome them to Instacart. Together, we’ll build more technologies that help independent grocers accelerate their pace of innovation so they can continue to compete, grow, and serve their customers however they choose to shop.”

Moving forward, the Rosie team will lead Instacart’s business strategy and technology development for local independent grocers, as Instacart continues to build e-commerce and fulfillment products and services for this key segment of the grocery industry, the company stated.

“For nearly a decade, our team has lived, breathed, and devoted ourselves to the success of local independent grocers and I couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve accomplished together,” Nick Nickitas, founder and CEO of Rosie, said. “Instacart’s mission of powering the future of grocery is closely aligned with our own, and I’m confident that combining our teams and technologies is the way to best continue serving these important retailers. Together, we will continue to innovate and build easy to use and affordable digital solutions that help our retailer, wholesaler, and brand partners thrive and better meet the needs of their customers.”

With Instacart, Nickitas is now working under the title general manager of local independent grocers, the California company tells CNYBJ. 

About Rosie

Founded in Ithaca in 2013, Rosie has spent nearly a decade building relationships and supporting local and independent retailers across more than 40 states. Rosie offers independent grocers branded e-commerce websites and mobile-app capabilities that power order flow, fulfillment, and customer insights. 

Rosie’s product features include shoppable weekly ads, store loyalty and rewards programs integrations, third-party fulfillment logistics integrations, and payment processing — all developed for local and independent grocers. 

Rosie has raised nearly $12 million in funding from investors to date, according to an article on the website of TechCrunch.