Instacart starts Walmart delivery pilot in some U.S. cities

Aug 11 (Reuters) - Instacart app users in some U.S. cities will now be able to shop for their bread, milk and eggs from Walmart Inc, a spokeswoman for the grocery delivery company confirmed on Tuesday.

The pilot program in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Tulsa, is another boost for Instacart as it moves closer to a likely initial public offering amid booming demand for grocery delivery due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company in June said it had raised $225 million in a new funding round, valuing it at $13.7 billion.

Walmart has also emerged as one of the winners of the virus lockdowns with its investments in store pick-up and its own delivery service paying off, as consumers limit their trips for groceries.

Instacart, which has been partnering with Walmart Canada since 2018, will also deliver alcohol and electronic items from Walmart in the U.S. locations. (Reporting by Uday Sampath and Jane Lanhee Lee; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)