As grocery-delivery apps gain popularity and take up more space in the app store, we don’t go out and run errands nearly as often as we used to. From getting tampons delivered via Amazon Prime to having Chipotle delivered via Postmates for the third day in a row (hey, don’t judge), there’s virtually no reason to make pit stops anymore — not even for groceries — which is great news for those of us constantly on the go.
Even your favorite department stores have been jumping on the delivery app train. Just recently, Target announced same-day delivery in Birmington, Alabama, and South Florida. Once customers check out, employees called “Shipt shoppers” will visit the store, pay and deliver within a few hours. Nifty. After the initial launch of Target’s same-day delivery in these two markets, the chain plans to offer Shipt’s services at around half of its stores by the end of its first quarter.
As we eagerly await Target’s full rollout, though, why not give the already-available grocery-delivery apps a try? Here’s a breakdown of some of the best ones we found.
Instacart
Also available for iOS and Android, Instacart delivers fast — in as little as one hour. It’s also available in 26 states and the District of Columbia. Once you’re on the app, you choose a store in your area, make your list, choose your delivery time and check out. A shopper will pick up your order and deliver it to your door.
As far as pricing goes, your first delivery is free. After that, you can sign up for an Instacart Express membership, especially if you plan to use the service frequently. It costs $149 per year (or $12.50 per month). With Express, you can get $35-plus worth of food delivered for free if you choose the one-hour, two-hour or scheduled delivery option. Be aware, though, that the minimum order amount is $10, and one-hour delivery is $8 if you don’t sign up for a membership.
Shipt
Costco currently uses Shipt, and Target will soon. Shipt is available for iOS and Android, and it’s easy to use. Just select your groceries, choose your delivery option and check out. A shopper will pick up the items and deliver them to your door.
A membership costs $100 a year or $14 per month, and with it, you get free delivery on orders over $35. If you aren’t a member, you’ll face a $7 delivery fee, which is pretty low compared to other grocery-delivery services. The only downside? It’s only available in major cities in the Southeast and in Texas, Arizona, Michigan and Ohio.
Safeway Online Shopping
Shop at Safeway often? Then you should give its delivery option a try — available for iOS and Android. Regular delivery ranges from $10 to $13 depending on your total cost. When you order, not only can you make special requests of your personal shopper, but the app also has free delivery offers and other exclusive promo codes you can scroll through every week. Not bad! Currently, the app has over 100,000 downloads and a decent rating of 3.7 out of 5.
AmazonFresh
AmazonFresh requires you to pay an extra monthly fee ($14.99) on top of your annual Amazon Prime membership fee ($99) and it’s not available in all cities, so check to see if your area is covered. AmazonFresh is free if your total amount exceeds $40. However, orders under $40 are charged a delivery fee of $9.99. It sounds expensive, so why is this on our list? The items are priced competitively, allowing you to pay even less on most things you buy.
goPuff
This one’s a personal favorite. Now, goPuff isn’t like the rest of the delivery apps, as it doesn’t offer as wide a variety of goods. But what does make them different is that their items come straight from their warehouse to your front door — no middleman. GoPuff isn’t everywhere yet, but you can find it in Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Austin, Denver, Phoenix, Tucson, Chicago, North Chicago/Evanston, Seattle, Portland, Syracuse, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, State College, Newark (Delaware), Bloomington, Champaign, Columbus, Manayunk and Northeast Philadelphia. They’re also open pretty late, 24-7 in most cities. As far as cost goes — and this is the best part — it’s a whopping $1.95 every time. They also tend to Tweet out promo codes pretty frequently, so follow them. They’re available for iOS and Android.
Google Express
Google Express is about more than groceries — you can get items delivered from Costco, Target, Kohl’s, PetSmart and Fry’s Electronics, something you won’t see on other grocery-delivery apps. Google Express will also deliver same-day. As far as pricing goes, a membership is $10 per month or $95 per year. If you opt out of a membership, you’ll have to pay a delivery fee starting at $4.99 per store. The only downside? You can’t order perishables through Google Express. Check it out on iTunes or Android.
Yummy.com
Yummy.com is super-limited in terms of its availability — it’s only available in six locations in Los Angeles, including Century City, Hollywood, Silver Lake, Santa Monica, Playa Vista and Mid-City — but it’s really fast. You can schedule a grocery delivery for any 30-minute window. As far as cost goes, there’s free delivery for orders of $100 or more; if it’s less than $100, you’ll pay a $5 delivery fee. The minimum order fee is $14.99.
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