How Friends’ Marketplace Captured 30X Increase in Orders With Instacart Marketplace

From In-House Strain to Marketplace Success

Friends’ Marketplace, a two-store, family-owned grocery business based in Massachusetts, has built its reputation on a community-first approach — offering everything from fresh bakery items and prepared foods to artisanal and locally sourced products. When e-commerce became essential during the pandemic, the company launched its own online ordering and delivery program. But after several years of managing the process in-house, owner Brian Junkins realized the model was both costly and unsustainable for an independent grocer.

When Instacart acquired their previous e-commerce partner, Rosie, Friends’ Marketplace saw an opportunity to reimagine its approach. In April 2025, they migrated to the Instacart Marketplace.

“Running our own online shopping and delivery was disruptive and a losing proposition. With Instacart, the setup was easy, and we didn’t have to touch the last mile.” — Brian Junkins, Owner, Friends’ Marketplace

The Challenge: Making E-Commerce Work for Independents

Friends’ Marketplace faces unique operational challenges. Located in highly seasonal Cape Cod communities, the business experiences a significant increase in demand during the summer months as tourists and vacation homeowners arrive. At the same time, its core customer base — one of the most senior populations in Massachusetts — presents additional digital adoption hurdles.

The team’s self-managed e-commerce model required significant labor while producing limited returns. To continue serving their community competitively, the team needed a turnkey, cost-effective solution that could:

• Eliminate operational complexity and fixed costs

• Reach new customers without cannibalizing in-store traffic

• Capture seasonal demand through an easy-to-use digital platform

The Solution: A Simple, Scalable Path to Growth 

Instacart Marketplace provided exactly what the team needed — a way to offer online shopping without the operational burden.

The platform gave Friends’ Marketplace immediate exposure to thousands of customers already searching for grocery delivery in their area.  Instacart’s model shifted the picking, delivery, and customer support to Instacart, freeing store teams to focus on in-store service.

“We didn’t over-engineer it. We just got set up, monitored a few reports, and let it run. The transition was seamless for our existing customers, and it’s been a really pleasant surprise — incremental sales with very little effort. For a small independent grocer, that’s huge.” — Brian Junkins, Owner, Friends’ Marketplace

The Results: 30x More Orders, 15x GMV Growth 

The larger-format Orleans, MA location quickly attracted new sales from the Instacart customer base, particularly from seasonal visitors ordering delivery. 

During their peak season (May through September 2025), Friends’ Marketplace experienced remarkable growth compared to its limited online business during the same period the previous year. 

Thanks to access to new customers on Instacart during the peak season, the store processed more than 30x more online orders and grew gross merchandise value (GMV) by more than 15x after switching to Instacart.

At its larger-format Orleans, MA location, the grocer:

• Processed 30x more online orders

• Achieved 15x growth in GMV compared to the same period the previous year

• Attracted significant incremental sales from seasonal visitors ordering delivery

“Instacart brought us business we never would’ve received. If we weren’t listed, those customers would’ve shopped somewhere else.” — Brian Junkins, Owner, Friends’ Marketplace

The store’s online volume followed natural seasonality patterns — ramping up in June, peaking in July and August, and remaining steady into fall. Many orders came from vacationers placing substantial baskets worth hundreds of dollars.

The Rochester, MA location, a smaller convenience-style store, maintains an Instacart presence with minimal effort, positioned to capture future demand.

Operationally, the Friends’ Marketplace team monitors key reports for inventory and fulfillment optimization, while Instacart handles delivery logistics. 

Built for Growth, Focused on Community

For Friends’ Marketplace, Instacart allows the grocer to serve both loyal locals and seasonal visitors while maintaining their community-driven brand identity.

“We’re as much a meeting place as a market. Instacart lets us extend that connection to customers who can’t make it in-store.” — Brian Junkins, Owner, Friends’ Marketplace

By simplifying operations, eliminating overhead, and delivering incremental sales, Instacart gives independent retailers like Friends’ Marketplace the freedom to focus on what they do best — serving customers.

The Instacart Marketplace has proven to be a simple, scalable, and reliable e-commerce solution for Friends’ Marketplace — enabling profitable growth without stretching resources. By partnering with Instacart, they turned a once-challenging e-commerce operation into a seamless channel for growth.

Instacart helps independent grocers win by making e-commerce easy and profitable, allowing grocers to focus on what matters most: their customers.

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.