Instacart Best Practices

Overview

This article covers practical steps you can take to set your shop up for success with Instacart — from making sure the pickup window is visible in your workflow, to choosing the right products and getting the most out of each order.

Make sure the pickup window is visible in your POS

Each Instacart order includes a pickup time window. It’s important that this is visible in your order view so you know when the arrangement needs to be ready.

The pickup window appears in the Time Due column in your orders list. If you don’t see this column, you may need to turn it on.

To show the Time Due column

Go to Orders Snapshot.
Click Columns in the top right corner.
Find Time Due in the list and toggle it on.

The pickup window will also appear in the order details and in your new order email and SMS notifications, so you’ll always have a way to find it even if the column isn’t visible.

Hyper ticket setup

If your shop uses hyper tickets to print order details, we recommend making sure the pickup time window prints on the ticket. Not all hyper ticket templates include this variable by default.

Hyper ticket templates are managed by BloomNation — you can’t edit them directly. If you’d like to add the pickup time window to your hyper ticket, contact our Partner Support team and we’ll get it set up for you.

If your shop doesn’t use hyper tickets, no action is needed — the pickup window will appear in your order details and notifications.

Driver or customer pickup

Instacart orders may be picked up by an Instacart driver or by the customer directly. The order details will tell you which to expect when the order comes in, so there are no surprises. Either way, your responsibility is the same — have the arrangement ready before the pickup window closes.

Choose the right products

Instacart is an on-demand channel. Choosing products that are easy to prepare and transport helps you fulfill orders consistently and keep your cancellation rate low.

Good candidates for Instacart

Same-day arrangements you can reliably prepare quickly
Everyday arrangements in standard sizes
Products you consistently have in stock
Your best-performing, most recognizable designs

Products to leave off Instacart

Sympathy pieces made for a service — casket sprays, standing sprays, easel arrangements, and “for the service” arrangements. These are not eligible.
Arrangements over 30 inches in any direction, or over 4 cubic feet in total — these don’t transport well in a standard vehicle
Tall arrangements for the same reason
Products with a prep time of more than one hour
Products with delivery turned off
Products hidden on both the BloomNation marketplace and your own website
Products you don’t reliably have in stock
Alcohol-containing products — these are not eligible for Instacart
Gift cards — these are not eligible for Instacart
Add-on items such as balloons, teddy bears, and chocolates — these are not eligible for Instacart

Note: We read size and prep time from your product’s recipe. If a product has no recipe on file, we can’t assess it and it will show as recommended — you can still turn it off by hand at any time.

You can review and update your Instacart product listing at any time from Partnership Products.

Substitutions

If a specific flower variety isn’t available, you may substitute with something of equal or greater value. The substitution should be as close as possible to the original — matching size, color, and overall style to what was ordered or pictured.

For example, substituting carnations with roses is acceptable — it is an upgrade in perceived value. Substituting roses with carnations is not — that is a step down that doesn’t match what the customer ordered.

There is no substitution notification system — you don’t need to flag a substitution or get approval. Use your judgment to make a substitution that maintains or improves the quality of the arrangement.

If you can’t fulfill the order at an equal or better quality level, cancel the order rather than making a significant downgrade.

Branding your orders

Instacart orders are a chance to introduce your shop to new customers. You’re welcome to include your shop’s branding with each arrangement — business cards, care instructions, coupons, or anything else that represents your shop.

Tips

Keep your catalog current. Only list products you can reliably fulfill. If a product goes out of season or out of stock, hide it from Instacart until it’s available again.
Mark orders ready during the pickup window. Have the arrangement ready before the window opens, but wait until the window starts before marking it as Ready for Pickup. Don’t wait until the last minute — the pickup person needs time to travel to your shop.
Watch your cancellation rate. Frequent cancellations can affect your standing in the program. If a product is causing repeated cancellations, consider removing it from your Instacart listing.
Use the time window as your deadline. Build the Instacart prep time into your daily schedule the same way you would a timed delivery.
Include your branding. Every Instacart order is a chance to turn a new customer into a repeat one. A business card or coupon goes a long way.

Need help?

If you have questions, our Partner Support team is here to help.

Phone: (210) 405-5050
Email: support@bloomnation.com