Which is Best For Online Grocery Shopping?

Many online grocery stores now offer high-quality products at prices that may be more expensive than your typical grocery store. To figure out which is best, I tested a few popular services to find ones that offer variety, quality brands and reasonable prices, along with convenient pick-up or delivery options.

A key to online shopping is making a list of your needs and claiming a delivery time slot before the slots fill up. You will also need to be flexible in your choices in relation to the availability of the items.

1. Instacart

This grocery delivery service online lets you order through either a mobile or web-based application creating an online shopping cart which is fulfilled by personal shoppers on a specified day. Instacart works with over 1,400 local, national and regional banners in North America to deliver products from over 80,000 locations. You can find membership-only stores like Costco or Sam's Club.

Instacart charges a $2.99 fee for same-day delivery and a $3.99 cost for service (plus a tip to the shopper). These costs are similar to the ones you pay when you shop at your usual grocery store but you don't need to be concerned about parking, driving, and waiting in line to pay. In addition when you shop with Instacart at minimum 14 times a year you can sign-up for an annual Instacartmembership to reduce shipping and service charges.

Hindert recommends that you do a price comparison prior to adding items to your shopping cart if are concerned about the price of groceries. Instacart lets you add nutrition information and specific prices to your list so that you can evaluate the costs and ingredients of the items in your cart. You can also create a "shoppable list" using your Instacart application. This is beneficial for future grocery shopping trips.

However, Hindert points out that using Instacart to shop for groceries may not be as effective than shopping on your own since it can result in purchase impulses. Additionally grocery delivery services do not always offer the same in-store sales that you would discover at your local grocery store.

2. Amazon Grocery

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

Amazon Grocery is one of the most popular grocery shopping services available and for good reason. It has an attractive pricing structure, a wide range of items, Rice Ball Press Kit and convenient features that make it a good choice for anyone looking to save time and money on groceries. In addition, the service also has a strong sustainability factor and is perfect for those trying to reduce their carbon footprint.

Its focus on the weekly food shopping trip, affordable price and carefully curated selection puts it directly in direct competition with traditional supermarkets Brick Meets Click's Bishop said. "Grocers who don't standout in these categories are most vulnerable to Amazon Grocery," Bishop added.

Amazon has added new perks to help Prime members to place more and bigger grocery orders. One of these is a free grocery delivery. This will position the company as a one-stop shop for many customers' everyday needs.

Amazon's merchandising innovation is another way it tries to attract customers to their stores. Local brands that have been successful in smaller stores such as Rockenwagner Bakery or Groundworks Coffee are among the many local brands Amazon is trying to promote. This gives shoppers an authentic shopping experience and makes it easier to build loyalty.

3. Walmart

With hectic work schedules and family commitments, as well as general dislike of crowds, it's no surprise that shopping online is a popular choice. Click and ship makes everything simpler for everything from clothes to office supplies. Now grocery shopping has joined the party.

Online grocers are booming, with some offering convenience and others providing high-quality products at affordable prices. Which one is best for you? To help you choose the best grocery delivery service, we've reviewed the best options.

Instacart is a renowned online grocery service provides you with personal shoppers who will shop for you in local stores. It is accessible in over a thousand cities and is a great option for shoppers who like to shop at chain supermarkets but also want to avail discounts at wholesalers such as Costco and Aldi. Instacart provides same-day delivery in a variety of markets, including stores such as Food Lion, Kroger and Wegmans. Instacart also provides an option for bulk items that are ideal for those who frequently go to the grocery store to buy essentials.

Walmart is a household name in e-commerce, especially for groceries. The online ordering platform allows you to pick an appointment time or pickup and then select the items you want from a virtual cart. The site offers rollback discounts and a broad selection of products ranging from produce pantry essentials to personal care products. Walmart+ is a service that delivers groceries from local stores.

Thrive Market is an online grocery store that is a specialist in organic and non-GMO foods. The membership fee is $5 per month, and is billed annually. It offers a variety of food items to choose from including fish, meat and dairy. Thrive offers free shipping on orders over $35 and has a selection of items that are healthy for you and the planet.

4. Smith's

Online grocery shopping can be a lifesaver for many families who are busy. These services can help you to not only cut one weekly chore off your list, but also plan your meals and budget. Not all online grocery stores provide the same benefits. It is crucial to choose the right option, whether you're seeking convenience or a broad variety of goods.

Other online grocery stores provide convenient delivery and pickup options. Instacart is one of the grocery stores online that allows personal shoppers to shop at local stores and then deliver your order to your home or office. Walmart Grocery is one of the many options that allow customers to shop online and pick up your order at a designated store.

Thrive Market is another popular online grocery store that offers an extensive selection of natural and organic products. These include pantry staples, cleaning supplies and much more. Contrary to other online grocers the Thrive Market does not have an minimum order requirement or a flat rate for deliveries. It also provides free membership which allows you to test the service for up to two weeks before you pay for it.

Smith's offers a convenient curbside grocery service for those who purchase government benefits. The service is available for EBT or SNAP cards. Select the store location in your Smith's App Shop online, make your purchase and then choose an appropriate time for pickup. When you arrive, park in your parking spot and dial the number to inform the associate that you're there. The associate will then deliver your order to you in parking lot.

5. Peapod

Peapod is the first to offer online grocery shopping. It operates in 24 US markets. Customers can order and receive deliveries of pantry items, groceries, fresh produce, deli products, meats, Vimeo dairy organic and natural foods as well as prepared meals, school and office products, personal care items and alcohol in specific markets. Customers can also pick up their orders at over 200 Peapod pickup points most of which are located in brick-and-mortar shops operated by Ahold USA like Stop & Shop.

Peapod uses the data it collects to determine the brands and products that shoppers like, and allows them to recommend similar products. The system allows shoppers to view all items in their shopping carts at once and to use search filters to narrow down results. Since grocery shopping is a routine activity, the Skokie-based company uses data to predict which products the shopper will buy, pushing those items toward the top of the list.

The service is based on its drivers, who are also known as brand ambassadors. Bienkowski said to Food Dive that food is an emotional experience. Being able to interact directly with the person who delivers the order makes it more convenient and pleasant. And unlike many e-commerce deliveries when customers see the driver with their groceries, they know that the order is in good hands.

Peapod, as the first to pioneer online grocery shopping, has poured money in technology so that it can remain competitive with its competitors. It hasn't made as much of an impact on the industry as other grocery delivery services such as Instacart or Amazon Fresh. The 28-year-old veteran of the battle for online grocery is working to increase its competitiveness through expanding its e-commerce options. It recently launched a brand new mobile shopping experience based on its proprietary PRISM platform on its own sites, as well as the sites of its parent company, Ahold Delhaize USA.