The best places to buy groceries online
- Shopping for groceries online can be a convenient way to save time and ensure you can get the food you need.
- Our top pick is Instacart because it allows you to "visit" your local grocery store, is available in most of the country, and doesn't require a membership fee to shop, though there are delivery and service fees to consider.
- Due to the novel coronavirus, many online grocery delivery services were previously experiencing delays fulfilling and shipping orders, as well as low inventory for household essentials, cleaning supplies, and shelf-stable pantry items. Some operations are back to normal, but be sure to keep those factors in mind if you're putting in an order.
- Many online grocery delivery services have also updated their policies to reduce social interactions, support the shopper community, and more.
- Read more: I use Instacart and Amazon Subscribe & Save instead of shopping at actual grocery stores — they've saved me so much time and money
Shopping for groceries is a polarizing chore. Some love weaving through the aisles, letting inspiration strike as they discover new ingredients. Others, like myself, prefer to go in with a list, grab what I need, and get out as fast as I can. In fact, if I can avoid going to the grocery store altogether, I will.
When my partner and I moved to a neighborhood where the grocery store options were limited, we switched to an online grocery service and were able to get everything we needed and more without having to leave our apartment.
Online grocery shopping is an incredibly convenient way to get the food you need while avoiding crowded aisles and rogue shopping carts dinging your car in the parking lot. Though it's not for those who want to pick the perfect tomato or get the double coupon discount on their pasta purchase, if you're willing to relinquish that control, shopping for your groceries online is a great way to go.
Of course, you should expect to pay a bit extra for the convenience. Most online grocery stores and delivery programs come with subscription costs, delivery fees, and the option to tip your shopper or driver — which we suggest you do. Some services have steeper fees than others.
In our guide to the best online grocery stores, we'll break down all the additional costs, how the service works, and more, to ensure the sustenance you need arrives unharmed and in a timely manner.
Here are the best places to buy groceries online:
- Best for shopping local: Instacart
- Best for bulk items: Boxed
- Best for a budget: Walmart
- Best for Amazon Prime members: Amazon Fresh
- Best for organic groceries: Thrive Market
Prices and links are accurate as of July 2, 2o20. We've also updated any information about delays and added meal kit delivery services as an alternate option to consider if there's low stock or delivery windows.
The best for shopping local
InstacartNote: As of 7/2/20, Instacart has added thousands of shoppers to its community as well as "Fast & Flexible" & "Order Ahead" options to ensure more delivery windows amid fluctuating delivery slot availability and stock shortages. It recommends authorizing replacement products if your item is out of stock and staying by the phone while your order is being fulfilled to answer any questions your shopper may have. Instacart also has a contactless delivery option to allow your shopper to leave your order outside your door.
Instacart is the industry leader in grocery delivery, serving 85% of households in the United States and 70% in Canada. Its far reach is due to its strategy of partnering with local grocery stores for distribution, so you can shop local and get the food you need from the stores you already trust and patronize.
To start shopping, you simply enter your zip code and your email address. From there, you select the store you want to shop from — I had a whopping 29 options to shop from in my Brooklyn neighborhood including Fairway, Shop Rite, and even non-grocery stores like Petco, CVS, and Target.
You can browse through the store's offerings based on categories like produce, snacks, drinks, etc., or you can search for the item you want using the search bar at the top of the page. If an item is low in stock, Instacart will prompt you with the opportunity to authorize a replacement product if your shopper can't get their hands on the original item. You can also opt to not replace it, and the cost of the missing item will be deducted from your bill.
With Instacart, your order will be handled by one of their shoppers who goes to the store, shops for your items, and then delivers them to you rather than being fulfilled at a warehouse and then shipped to you via a postal service, so you can expect a bit more care to be taken with your fruits and vegetables.
The service fees are where the Instacart prices start to mount. There's a baseline $3.99 delivery fee on each order, but if you choose a more popular delivery slot, the fee can jump up to either $5.99 or $9.99. You can get your groceries delivered in as little as an hour or you can schedule them to be delivered to you up to a week in advance. The more immediate slots often have higher delivery fees, so it might behoove you to plan ahead to save a couple of bucks.
On top of the delivery fee, you'll see a 5% service fee added to your order, and it's highly suggested that you tip your shopper for their service. If you're putting in a big order and you pick a slot with a low delivery fee, the additional cost will likely be worth it, but it can be hard to justify the extra dollars on small orders.
If you want to eliminate delivery fees, you can sign up for Instacart Express for either $9.99 a month or $99 a year and you'll receive unlimited free delivery for all orders over $35. If you shop frequently, this fee will pay for itself in no time, but unfortunately, you're still on the hook for the 5% service fee and any gratuity you add to the order.
Read our full review of Instacart here.
Pros: Shop via your local grocery store, no membership required, most widely available grocery delivery service
Cons: 5% service fee, delivery fees go up at more popular times
The best for bulk items
BoxedNote: As of 7/2/20, standard Boxed orders are no longer experiencing shipping delays. However, Boxed Express time slots are filling up quickly and some items may be out of stock. Boxed Express has also paused its bag return program for the time being.
When you think of bulk grocery shopping, big-box membership-oriented stores like Costco or Sam's Club probably come to mind. But if you're looking to buy in bulk, save while doing it, and avoid membership fees, Boxed is here to make that a reality. You'll find all your favorite brands in oversized quantities at wholesale prices.
Insider Reviews freelancer Holly Johnson used Boxed to order staples for her family, and she was thrilled to find such low prices. She wrote, "Using Boxed for bulk supplies lets me keep my grocery orders to a minimum while getting good prices on the staples my family loves. I know because I have taken the time to compare pricing for bulk purchases at Costco and Amazon, and Boxed is comparable or better most of the time."
Standard Boxed orders — featuring only non-perishables — are packed at the Boxed warehouse and shipped to you, and you'll get free shipping on all orders over $49. If you're looking to add perishable items to your grocery order, you can opt to buy through Boxed Express in certain locations — enter your zip code to see if you're eligible.
With Boxed Express, your order will be hand-delivered in reusable tote bags at a delivery time you choose upon checkout. Boxed Express has a $20 minimum order, and there's a $6.99 delivery fee for orders costing less than $65. Orders of $65 or more are eligible for free delivery. Unfortunately, there's no way to combine the deliveries of your perishable and non-perishable goods because they're supplied through different streams. You can order them at the same time though.
Read our full Boxed review.
Pros: No membership required, prices match or beat big-box bulk stores like Costco
Cons: Bulk items and perishable items are delivered separately
The best on a budget
Flickr / WalmartNote: As of 7/2/20, Walmart's online grocery delivery service appears to be back to normal. There's no longer a disclaimer on Walmart's site that says to "please check back later, or change locations," when all time slots are full.
While many grocery delivery services charge a premium on products, Walmart's prices remain consistent whether you're buying in-store or online for delivery or pick-up, making it the most budget-friendly choice for grocery delivery.
Through Walmart Grocery's online portal or mobile app, you can search for and select groceries from all aisles of the supermarket, from dry goods to frozen pizza to milk, eggs, and produce. A Walmart employee will go through the store and put your order together for you, scanning each item as they go to ensure you get everything you paid for.
Upon checking out, you'll select whether you want to pick up your order from a local store or have it delivered to your home. If you select pick-up, you'll head to the Walmart location you select and pick up your order at whatever time you choose. There's no additional fee to pick up your groceries, so you'll just pay for the items themselves.
Delivery will cost a flat $9.95 with no other service or delivery fees added in, so you don't have to worry about hidden costs stacking up. You do have to meet a $30 order minimum, but a weekly grocery haul should take you over that limit easily. It's also encouraged to tip your delivery person, but it is not required.
You can select one-hour time slots for delivery either the day you place the order or the next day. If the delivery slots fill up, you'll have to wait until the next day when new ones open up to place your order. It can be a bit frustrating to fill your whole cart only to find that there are no delivery slots remaining, but you can just leave your cart stocked until new ones open up.
Pros: Prices are the same as in-store, no service fees beyond the $9.95 delivery, free pick-up option
Cons: Can only schedule for same-day or next-day delivery, can't see delivery availability until after you fill your cart
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