A hometown grocer with a focus on affordability

Save A Lot is one of the largest value-focused grocery chains in the country, with hundreds of stores across 28 states.

Many of them serve neighborhoods where grocery options are limited. So, when delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats began accepting SNAP EBT, Save A Lot saw an opportunity to reach more families where they were already shopping: online and on mobile.

But the path to accepting EBT was harder than expected, requiring significant coordination across stakeholder groups and detailed administrative work. With limited internal resources and without a clear playbook, guidance, or support, the project was slow to get off the ground. After months of work, they had launched just a handful of stores.

A swift and easy path to launch

After struggling to get the program off the ground on their own, Save A Lot engaged Forage. The results were immediate.

To simplify onboarding, Forage handles their EBT launches end-to-end, assuming the operational burden. Forage coordinates with USDA, walks Save A Lot’s independent retail partners through each step of their authorization, and takes care of the technical integration with delivery platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats.

After launching with Forage, Save A Lot's DoorDash footprint quickly grew to more than 330 stores. Today, launching EBT at a new location takes just 6–8 weeks. And that includes stores owned by independent retail partners, whose participation had held up previous rollouts. 

As a result, EBT has become a meaningful part of Save A Lot’s eCommerce business. Today, EBT sales are growing as a part of the company’s eCommerce sales, with EBT orders generating basket sizes 47% higher than non-EBT orders.

Transform EBT into a growth engine

As a value-focused grocer, Save A Lot is careful with every dollar. At the same time, they prioritize innovation and a superior customer experience.

But Forage doesn’t just offer a way to bring a better eCommerce experience to Save A Lot’s customers; it’s also been a big improvement on the backend. Previously, EBT settlement and reconciliation were serious pain points for both Save A Lot and their independent retail partners. Today, Forage’s unified reporting offers a single, clean close that reconciles in minutes.

The two companies meet regularly to develop and implement strategies to grow Save A Lot’s EBT program. Forage works alongside the Save A Lot team on marketing and growth initiatives, helps navigate SNAP policy, and provides ongoing operational support to keep stores running smoothly.

For Save A Lot, EBT is just one priority among many. They value Forage’s expertise and guidance in growing the program—so they can focus on other priorities.