Merchant Stories

Eataly x Instacart

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Shoutouts

So many people helped bring this project to life!


Project Manager

Content Strategist

Researchers

Engineers

Data scientists

Product operations

Product Marketing Manger

Me (Designer)

Problem Statement

While Eataly customers could shop online, the experience lacked the discovery, storytelling, and ease of basket-building found in Eataly’s in-store experience.

The experience leaned on search, categories, and product grids, useful for finding items, but less effective for inspiring discovery.

Customers

Had no easy way to discover what’s new at their favorite Eataly store.

If Eataly introduces a seasonal product, featured collection, or special promotion, customers have to open the app and search the storefront themselves to find it.

Eataly

Want a way to connect with their online customers.

Eataly is more than a grocery storefront. They want ways to connect with customers, share their story, and bring more discovery into the online shopping experience.

Brand partners were already finding ways to stand out…

Eataly’s brand partners were using sponsored placements and product modules to get noticed, revealing a need for more intentional discovery moments in the shopping experience.

How might we…

…increase online demand by helping customers discover relevant products while they shop?

02 Defining Success

Make Discovery Effortless

Customers should notice what’s new, seasonal, or worth trying without having to search for it.

Create a Curated Experience

The experience should feel thoughtful and distinctive, reflecting the discovery customers associate with Eataly in-store.

Don’t Disrupt Shopping

Discovery should feel like a natural part of shopping, not something that pulls customers away from completing their order.

Keep Content Relevant

Customers should see content that feels timely, useful, and aligned with what they care about in the moment.

Product Requirements

Make Discovery Effortless

Customers can discover what’s new, seasonal, or worth trying directly on the storefront.

Create a Curated Experience

Content should include a mix of programmatic and curated content.

Don’t Disrupt Shopping

Keep discovery within browsing so customers can explore featured content without interrupting their path to purchase.

Keep Content Relevant

Customers should see content that feels timely, useful, and relevant in the moment.

However…

There was one big questions…

Should discovery live within browsing or stand alone?

We knew we wanted customers to discover more while they shopped. The question was whether discovery should live within an existing behavior, like bookmarking items, or be introduced as its own browsing experience.

Content Types

Programmatic

Content generated through the platform based on customer behavior and merchandising signals.

  • Recipes Based on Your Cart

  • Mix & Match to Save

  • Seasonal items

  • Featured products

  • Best sellers

  • New arrivals

Curated

Content created by Eataly and brand partners to bring storytelling and discovery into the storefront.

  • Seasonal collections

  • Staff picks

  • Brand partner spotlights

  • Italian Favorites

03 Explorations

Push notifications

Send promotional or seasonal updates to encourage customers to revisit the app.

  • Why not:
    Too interruptive and likely to create notification fatigue. Discovery should happen naturally within the shopping experience.

  • Use a phone mockup with a simple push notification on the lock screen — just like the Uber example.

  • a clean iPhone lock screen with one Eataly/Instacart-style notification card. Keep it minimal so it reads as an “idea we didn’t choose,” not a final feature.

03 Exploration

Status Updates

Introduce discovery through lightweight status updates within the storefront.

  • Why not:
    Too embedded in the shopping flow, difficult to scale, and easy for customers to miss.

  • “status update.”

  • fem has a before and after on the same page *

    2. Product listing page with a small contextual note above a product row
    Best for explaining why it didn’t work: it feels too buried and easy to miss.

Dedicated Discovery Tab

Create a separate tab just for curated content, inspiration, and seasonal finds.

  • Why not:
    Why not: Adds an extra layer and separates discovery from where shopping decisions already

  • Use a phone mockup showing a bottom nav with a new tab like:

    • Discover

    • Inspiration

    • Collections (my pick)

  • And inside:

    • Spring Entertaining

    • Staff Picks

    • Regional Italian Favorites

    • Brand Spotlight: Calvisius

Featured Collections

An engaging, familiar pattern that supports discovery while customers shop.

  • Engaging discovery

    Highlights fresh, seasonal produce that inspires meal ideas.

  • Familiar & scannable
    A pattern customers already know and trust — no new behavior required.

  • Contextual & relevant
    Curated categories make it easy to find what they need, faster.

  • Contextual & relevant
    Curated categories make it easy to find what they need, faster.

04 Designs

Items from favorited products are shown first, followed by curated categories.

Feed

transitions to

Content is shown based on stores booked marked or items ordered from before

Once those items end, we start to show curated content such as Seasonal collections or Brand partner spotlights

Items from the product page will show — recommendations ?

Storefront

Custom

Full screen stories show both custom and programmatic content

Featured Collections

Programmatic

Inviting brand partners to participate in marketing campaigns

Campaigns

Add customer experiences like images of maybe good shopping experiences from instagram x instacart

Custom content

Brand partners can create a custom story in the Marketing section

Merchant

Brand partners can create a custom story in the Marketing section

05 Results

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Brand partners can create a custom story in the Marketing section

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