Which is Best For Online Grocery Shopping?

Many online grocery stores now offer quality items at prices that may be more expensive than your usual grocery stop. To determine which one is the best option, I tested several well-known options to find ones that combine the best brands, a variety of products and reasonable prices, along with convenient delivery or pick-up option.

Online shopping is all about planning your list and claiming your delivery time slot before it fills up. It is also important to be flexible with your choices based on availability of the products.

1. Instacart

This online grocery delivery service allows you to order on an app or website and creates a virtual shopping cart that's fulfilled by a personal shopper on a specific day. Instacart has a relationship with more than 1400 local, national and regional banners across North America to deliver products from over 80,000 locations. You can find stores that are members-only like Costco or Sam's Club.

Instacart's fees include a $2.99 delivery fee on the same day and an additional $3.99 service fee (plus a tip for the customer). These costs are similar to those you'll encounter with shopping at your local grocery shop, but you don't have to worry about parking, Arttoframes custom size frame driving, and standing in queue to pay. Instacart offers an annual membership for customers who shop at minimum 14 times a year. This will help you save money on delivery and service charges.

Hindert recommends you conduct a price-shopping before adding items to your shopping cart if you are concerned about the cost of groceries. Instacart lets you include nutrition information and prices specific to your shopping list to allow you to compare the prices and the ingredients of the items in your cart. You can also create a "shoppable list" by using your Instacart application. This is helpful for future grocery shopping trips.

However, Hindert warns that using Instacart to purchase groceries may not be as effective as doing your own shopping because it can lead to purchase impulses. Additionally grocery delivery services do not always offer the same in-store sales that you'd find at your local supermarket.

2. Amazon Grocery

With Amazon Grocery customers can get their groceries delivered right to their doorstep. The items are delivered from local Amazon warehouses by couriers, or at a location that is manned. The service offers both next-day and same-day delivery. Amazon provides a wide range of groceries such as fresh fruits and vegetables dairy products, meats and seafood frozen food, packaged foods and household items.

Amazon Grocery is one of the most well-known grocery shopping services available, and with good reason. It has an affordable pricing structure, a wide selection, and useful features that make it a great choice for anyone who wants to save time and money on grocery shopping. The service is also a great option for those looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

Its focus on the weekly food shopping trip, its affordable price point and curated selection put it directly in competition with traditional supermarkets, Brick Meets Click's Bishop said. "Grocers who aren't a standout in any of these categories are more susceptible to Amazon Grocery," Bishop added.

Amazon has added new perks to help Prime customers to place more and larger grocery orders. One of these is a free grocery delivery. This will help the company position itself as a one stop shop for a large portion of its customers' daily needs.

Amazon's merchandising technology is a different way it tries to attract customers to their stores. These include featuring local brands that have proven successful in its smaller 365 stores like Rockenwagner Bakery and Groundworks Coffee. This gives shoppers an authentic experience at the grocery store and helps build loyalty.

3. Walmart

Online shopping is becoming increasingly popular due to busy work schedules, family obligations, and general dislike of crowds. Click and ship makes everything easier for everything from clothes to office equipment. Now the grocery store is being included in the fun.

Online grocers are booming with some offering convenience while others provide quality products at reasonable prices. Which one is best for you? To help you find the best grocery delivery service, we've rounded up the top choices.

Instacart is a renowned online grocery service that connects you with personal shoppers who can shop for you at local stores. It is available in thousands of cities and is an excellent option for those who prefer the convenience stores of chain stores and want to benefit from discounts at wholesalers such as Costco and Aldi. Instacart provides same-day delivery in a variety of markets, including stores like Food Lion, Kroger and Wegmans. It also has bulk items available as well, which is perfect for those who regularly visit the store to stock up on basic items.

Walmart is a big name in the world of e-commerce for grocery items. You can place an order online and select an appointment for pickup or delivery, then add your purchases to an online shopping cart. The site offers rollback discounts and a variety of products from produce to pantry essentials to personal care items. Walmart+ is a service that provides groceries from local stores.

Thrive Market, an online grocery store, specializes in organic foods and non-GMO items. Membership costs $5 per month, and is charged annually, and it offers an array of foods to pick from, such as fish, meat and dairy. Thrive delivers for free on orders above $35. Its selection includes healthy options for both you and the environment.

4. Smith's

Online grocery shopping can be a lifesaver to many busy families. These services can help you not only take one weekly chore off your list, but also to plan meals and to budget for. Not all online grocery stores offer the same benefits. It's crucial to select the right service, whether you're seeking convenience or a large variety of goods.

In addition to Smith's many other online grocers offer convenient delivery and pick-up options. Instacart is one of the grocery stores online which allows personal shoppers to shop in local stores and deliver your order to your home or workplace. Others, such as Walmart Grocery, allow you to shop online, and then pick up your order at the designated place.

Thrive Market is another popular online grocery store that provides an extensive selection of organic and natural items. These include items for the Kitchen Table Monarch Chrome, cleaning supplies and more. Unlike other online grocery stores Thrive doesn't have any minimum orders or a flat delivery fees. It also offers free membership which lets you test the service for up to two weeks prior to paying for it.

For customers who rely on government benefits, Smith's offers an online grocery service that accepts EBT and SNAP cards for curbside pickup at more than 70 stores. Select the store location in your Smith's App, shop for your groceries, place your order and then choose a pickup time. Once you arrive, park in your designated spot and dial a number to notify the associate that you are there. The associate will take your order out to you in the parking area.

5. Peapod

A pioneer in online grocery shopping, Peapod operates in 24 markets across the US. In some markets, customers can order and pick up food items, pantry items fresh produce, meats, dairy, organic and natural foods cooked meals, office and school supplies delivered. They can also pick up alcohol and personal items. Customers also can take orders to more than 200 Peapod pickup locations, the majority of which are attached to Ahold USA-owned brick and mortar stores such as Stop & Shop.

Peapod uses the data it collects to identify the brands and products that customers like, and allows them to suggest similar items. The system allows shoppers to browse all items in their shopping cart at once and also apply filters to narrow down results. Since grocery shopping is a habit-driven activity the Skokie company, based in Illinois, uses data to predict what items the customer will purchase and push these items to the top of the list.

The drivers, who are referred to as brand ambassadors, are a key element of the service. "Food is inherently emotional," Bienkowski told Food Dive and being able to communicate with the person who brings customers their food makes the experience more enjoyable and convenient. And unlike many e-commerce deliveries, when customers see the driver with their groceries, they know that the order is in good hands.

As the first innovator in online grocery shopping, Peapod has invested in technology to remain competitive against its competitors. Peapod hasn't had as much of an impact on the industry as other grocery-delivery services like Instacart or Amazon Fresh. The 28-year-old veteran of the battle for online grocery is trying to boost its competitiveness by expanding its online options. It launched a new mobile experience based on the PRISM platform that is exclusive to Ahold Delhaize USA, and its own sites.