Seniors are unfortunately the most at-risk population to contract COVID-19, so staying at home and avoiding contact with others has become vital. However you still need to go to the grocery store to purchase essentials like food and toiletries; fortunately, there is a wide variety of services that allow you to order your groceries online to be picked up or delivered to your home. Navigating the choices available for at-home grocery delivery can be overwhelming, and picking the delivery service that is best for your needs and budget can be tricky. We’ve created a list of five of the best services that provide prompt delivery, ease of use, and the opportunity to get your groceries while sheltering in place.
Walmart Grocery
o Minimum order: $30
o Delivery fee: $10
o Membership: Unlimited free delivery for $98/year
Walmart Grocery recently introduced Delivery Unlimited, a membership program that provides free delivery on all orders for a year, with no minimum order. Walmart Grocery allows users to order fresh produce and packaged items that might be found in any Walmart, and customers have the option of ordering online and picking their groceries up curbside.
This delivery service offers options in terms of how you can get your groceries: you can have them delivered, or you can simply pull up in your vehicle and have them loaded curbside. The yearly membership for Delivery Membership is about the same as other yearly memberships on this list.
Instacart
o Minimum Order: $10
o Delivery fee: $4 for non-members
o Optional free delivery for all orders over $35 for $99 a year or $10 a month
Instacart is a home delivery service for fresh produce and groceries that allows users to order from grocery stores nearby. Personal shoppers select the customer’s items and deliver them directly to the customer’s door. Users of Instacart have the option of ordering from grocers in their area. Users can order from the Instacart mobile app, or from the Instcart website if they prefer to see their options on a larger screen.
Instacart is a great service for customers who don’t necessarily spend a lot of money on every grocery store trip, who value supporting local businesses, and who are not looking to commit to a full yearly subscription. With a delivery fee of $4 and a minimum order amount of $10, Instacart is a great short-term answer if you would just like to sample at-home grocery delivery, or if you often don’t spend at least $35 on your regular grocery runs.
Shipt
o Minimum order: $35 for free shipping
o Delivery Fees: $7 for orders below $35
o Membership: $99/year or $14 a month
Shipt is similar to Instacart in that a personal shopper will shop for a user’s groceries, and customers can select where they get their groceries based on the stores in their area. The yearly membership for Shipt is the same as Instacart, but the monthly membership is roughly $4 more (Instacart’s monthly membership costs $10, while Shipt’s monthly membership totals at $14).
Like Walmart Grocery, Shipt costs $99 a year and requires a minimum order of $35 to use, making it ideal for customers who want to use these services long-term. However, unlike Walmart Grocery, it allows you to buy from your favorite local grocers and markets, and instead of relying on employees to choose your produce, your groceries are hand-picked by personal shoppers whom you can have contact with through the app—should they ever have a question about an order, or you ever need to state specific requests about your order, you can alert your personal shopper through the Shipt app on your smartphone.
Amazon Fresh
o Minimum order: $35 for free shipping
o Membership: Amazon Prime membership ($119/year)
If you’re an Amazon Prime member already, then this might be the grocery delivery service for you. Users of this service reap the largest benefit and savings value if they already have an Amazon Prime membership. Amazon Fresh is free with the subscription, which costs $119 per year. This delivery service also might be best for users who enjoy shopping from home, since an Amazon Prime membership allows you to buy from a wide selection of products: from electronics to clothing, to cleaning supplies, Amazon Prime can deliver everything you might need, along with your grocery items through Amazon Fresh.
Amazon Fresh includes groceries from Whole Foods and depending on your location of delivery. Currently, Amazon Prime is available in over 2,000 cities, so make sure that your location is covered by Amazon Fresh while considering which grocery delivery service to choose from. Compared to Shipt or Instacart, there are fewer local buying options; but users do have the ability to shop beyond groceries when ordering online through Amazon.
Google Shopping
o Minimum order: $35 for free shipping
o Membership: No membership required
Google Shopping is a grocery delivery service that is available everywhere, which is what separates it from its competitors. Unlike Amazon Fresh, which is only available in approximately 2,000 cities, and Shipt and Instacart, which rely on the stores that are nearby the user, Google Shopping is available everywhere and no membership is required. Since Google Shopping only offers nonperishable groceries for sale, this grocery delivery service is likely best for users that only plan on using a service every once in a while, or using the service to supplement another grocery shopping routine.
Unlike many of the grocery delivery services on this list, there isn’t a membership for Google Shopping that allows repeated users to increase the value by consistently using the service. Also unlike the other grocery delivery services on this list, Google Shopping doesn’t offer the option of ordering perishable groceries. Considering the lack of membership opportunities and the specialization in nonperishable goods, this service is probably best for users who only plan to use a delivery service every once in a while for items like pasta, rice, and canned goods.
In Summation…
Having your groceries delivered to your home is a great way to save time and money, and most importantly limit your contact with others, thus lessening your exposure to COVID-19. Remember, with all of these services there is an increased demand so you may have to order up to a week in advance. Also, be prepared that some of the items you request may be sold out or replaced with a similar item.
Article written by Rhianna DeVries
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