The 5 Fastest Grocery Delivery Options For Last-Minute Shoppers
So you've got a kitchen to prep and little time to spare. Your grocery shopping list is half a mile long, but you can't afford to spend hours driving to and shopping through the grocery store. This problem can be solved with fast grocery delivery.
I live near Los Angeles, California, where grocery delivery services sprout like weeds. The five fastest grocery delivery options for last-minute shoppers include Instacart, Amazon Fresh, and DoorDash. (Keep in mind, this list may differ for East Coasters). Here's the complete list:
Five fastest grocery delivery options:
Find out their fees, delivery times, and which suits you best. Plus, one honorary mention that could get you groceries in minutes but comes with serious caveats.
1. InstacartInstacart offers one-hour delivery. So when you count the mashed potatoes and the green peas but somehow end up one turkey short, you can order a bird with a few swipes in the Instacart shopping app. You can also schedule delivery for hours ahead.
The fastest grocery delivery service charges $3.99 for two-hour and same-day deliveries. Instacart+ members get free one-hour and same-day delivery.
Free membership: Sign up for 12 months of free Instacart+ membership with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® credit card. Cardholders are entitled to this perk -- don't forget to use it!
>> Apply now for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card. 2. Amazon Fresh
Amazon Fresh offers one-hour delivery. Think roasted chicken and fresh produce, among other in-store shoppables. You can add items to your cart and schedule delivery through the Amazon app or website. Anyone can use it, not just Amazon Prime members.
The second-fastest delivery service charges fees ranging from $6.95 to $13.95, depending on Prime member status and how quickly you want your groceries delivered. One big discount: Prime members who order over $150 worth of groceries get free delivery.
Easy discounts: Swipe with the Prime Visa to earn 5% cash back on all Amazon Fresh grocery items. (It's the only card I use to shop on Amazon.)
>> Apply now for the Prime Visa card. 3. DoorDash
DoorDash offers same-day grocery delivery. It partners with grocery stores like Albertsons, Target, and Sprouts to send armies of in-store shoppers to do your shopping for you. It's easy to order groceries from the DoorDash app, the No. 2 food app in the App Store.
The popular delivery service typically charges a delivery fee of $3.99, but only sometimes. Many grocery stores on DoorDash offer free delivery for orders over $35. DoorDash will still charge you service fees, and there's the tip. DashPass members often pay fewer fees overall.
2% off groceries: Checkout with the DoorDash Rewards Mastercard® for 2% off grocery orders. New cardholders get a free DashPass membership for a year. It's the only card I use to shop on DoorDash. (Psst -- this card is best suited for frequent DoorDash users.)
>> Apply now for the DoorDash Rewards Mastercard®. 4. Walmart Grocery
Walmart Grocery offers same-day grocery delivery. For an additional $10, it will upgrade your order to Express Delivery, which gets you two-hour delivery. Unlike groceries delivered by competitors, Walmart groceries are the same price online as in-store.
The biggest grocery chain in America gives free same-day delivery options to Walmart+ members. However, delivery slots are first-come, first-serve, so same-day delivery is not guaranteed. Non-members can get same-day delivery for $7.95-$9.95.
5. Uber EatsUber Eats offers same-day grocery delivery. Much like DoorDash, it partners with grocery stores like Target, Smart & Final, and Vons to offer fast grocery deliveries to your door. You can order groceries from the Uber Eats app, the No. 5 food app in the App Store.
The ride-hailing company that offers grocery delivery charges customers up to $8, not including service fees and extra fees for busy hours. Uber One members get free grocery delivery on orders over $35.
Bonus: GoPuff deliveryGoPuff offers 30-minute grocery delivery. That's wild. A bold claim, if you will. Especially since the app is ranked at No. 39 in the Food & Drink category of the App Store. I've tried the app (and subscribed to the membership) with mixed results.
On the one hand, GoPuff does deliver your items fast. Only sometimes within 30 minutes, but yeah, sometimes (metro areas get faster delivery times). On the other hand, GoPuff has worked best for non-perishables. The one time I ordered avocados, they were overripe. Big oops.
GoPuff gets an honorary mention because it's one of the fastest delivery options but stores much of its inventory in warehouses; some items could be fresher.
How to choose your grocery delivery platformA good rule of thumb is to go with the most straightforward option. So, if you're familiar with DoorDash, order groceries through there. The same applies to other services. It'll save you time, and you could earn discounts if you're a member.
Another thing: The best grocery credit cards typically offer discounts at checkout. Use the right card for the job to get up to 6% off. It's an easy way to save on last-minute shopping.
Alert: highest cash back card we've seen now has 0% intro APR until 2025If you're using the wrong credit or debit card, it could be costing you serious money. Our experts love this top pick, which features a 0% intro APR for 15 months, an insane cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee.
In fact, this card is so good that our experts even use it personally. Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.
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The Best Grocery Delivery Services, Tested And Reviewed
The Best Grocery Delivery ServicesOscar Wong - Getty Images
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With work, household chores, family and everything else life throws our way, finding time to go to the grocery store can be a challenge. Then, there are all the headaches that can come with the in-person shopping experience: fighting for parking, searching every aisle to find something on your grocery list, waiting on long lines at check-out, lugging all those groceries home. It's no wonder that, according to some reports, nearly 150 million U.S. Shoppers are turning to online grocery delivery services to find an easier way.
There are a lot of benefits to shopping for groceries online, both for busy families and individuals alike, which is why our nutrition experts and culinary pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute set out to test and find the best grocery delivery services.
Our top picks:Grocery delivery services allow you to shop virtually at your local supermarket or an online specialty store, building out your digital cart before having the goods delivered right to your door. While some services allow you to shop in advance and select a pre-determined delivery date, others also offer same-day delivery if you're more of a last-minute shopper (or you're in urgent need of a missing ingredient mid-baking session).
You can read more about how we tested and evaluated online grocery services at the end of this guide, where you'll also find more information about the cost (i.E., is it cheaper to shop for groceries online instead of in stores?) plus tips for finding the best service for your needs.
Looking to up the convenience factor even further? Check out our guide to the best meal delivery services, or, if you like to buy your groceries "a la carte," check out our recommendations for the best produce delivery services, the best meat delivery services and the best seafood delivery services.
Best Grocery Delivery Service Overall: Walmart+ InHomeMinimum Order: $35
Delivery Fee: $0 same-day delivery, plus free shipping
Membership: $12.95/month or $98/year for Walmart+ membership and InHome delivery
ORDER AT WALMART.COM
If you live near one of the over 3,000 Walmart stores participating in this program, you can take advantage of the everyday low prices offered through Walmart's grocery delivery service. Enjoy same-day delivery on prepackaged and frozen meals, pantry staples, fresh produce and more, all at pretty great prices. You can even coordinate for your delivery associate to bring the groceries into your garage, put them away in your kitchen or simply place them at your doorstep. InHome Delivery is available seven days a week, with deliveries between 9 a.M. And 6 p.M.
We appreciate that there are no additional order fees or tips on store delivery (the delivery associates do not accept tips and are paid an hourly rate). The company also recently merged InHome delivery with the Walmart+ app, so you'll have to pay for a Walmart+ membership to use this service, but you'll receive a ton of perks like free shipping on any Walmart items (candles, shoes, holiday decorations, you name it!) with no order minimum.
Walmart Plus In Home
Best Grocery Variety: InstacartMinimum Order: $35
Delivery Fee: $4 same-day delivery without membership, plus service fees
Membership: Optional for $99/year or $10/month; includes free delivery on all orders over $35
ORDER AT INSTACART.COM
Instacart is a grocery delivery service in which personal shoppers select your items from the store and then deliver them to your door. Depending on your location (Instacart works with over 80,000 stores from local grocers to larger chains), you can get same-day delivery from a variety of stores in your area like Costco (no membership required!), Aldi, Kroger, Safeway and more. You can also access several non-grocery retailers, including Sur La Table, as well as local specialty stores like butchers and fish mongers.
You don't need a membership to order, but frequent users will save with an Instacart+ membership, which locks in a $0 delivery fee on every order over $35. Members can also earn 5% credit back on eligible pickup orders. You can shop straight from the app (available on iOS and Android) or directly from the Instacart website if you prefer your computer's bigger screen.
Because there are so many options to choose from, this delivery service is ideal for people who prefer to pick up groceries from multiple places — meat from a butcher, household staples from a big-box retailer, organic produce from a local supermarket, etc.
Instacart
Best Grocery Delivery Service for Prime Members: Amazon FreshMinimum Order: None
Delivery Fee: $10 same-day delivery for orders below $50; $7 for orders between $50 and $100; free delivery for Prime members for orders over $100
Membership: Free for Amazon Prime members; Amazon Prime membership is $15/month or $139/year
Amazon Fresh offers a wide variety of quality products at low prices, ranging from baby spinach and pita chips to personal care products like mouthwash and soap.
If you choose to go to an Amazon Fresh location in person, you can minimize your time at the store and shop contactless by taking advantage of Dash Cart and Just Walk Out technology. Dash Cart involves signing in using a QR code and then after you're done shopping, you can exit through the store's Dash Cart Lane. Just Walk Out allows you to skip the checkout by automatically updating items in your virtual cart in real-time.
Amazon
Best Grocery Delivery Service for Families: ShiptORDER AT SHIPT.COM
Available in over 5,000 cities, Shipt grocery delivery service allows you shop from different stores depending on where you live, including via an exclusive partnership with Target. You'll also find options like Costco, CVS and Petco.
Our experts say that families will find the service especially helpful, as you can get your groceries along with other household items like diapers and cleaning products delivered as quickly as one hour after ordering. Shipt offers the option to set your dietary preferences — choose between heart-healthy, gluten-free, low sodium, keto, kosher, vegan and more — to better customize your shopping experience.
You can place an order whenever the store is open, even if it's open 24/7. If something isn't available or an order needs to be adjusted, you can easily communicate with your shopper via text. Shipt even offers a gift option: You can give someone the gift of a six-month or one-year Shipt membership by either emailing them directly or printing out a code to wrap yourself. We think it's the perfect present for new parents.
Shipt
Best Healthy Grocery Delivery Service: Thrive MarketMinimum Order: None
Delivery Fee: $5.95 for grocery orders under $49, $20 for frozen orders under $120 and $14 for wine orders under $79; free shipping on grocery orders over $49, frozen orders over $120 and wine orders over $79
Membership: $60/year or $12/month
ORDER AT THRIVE.COM
With a mission to make healthy and sustainable living easy, accessible and affordable, Thrive Market focuses on providing high-quality foods and household products at low prices, shipped directly to your door. It is funded by its memberships (which are required) and groceries typically ship within one business day, which we found held true in our tests (except during bouts of inclement weather). Just note that frozen orders and wine only ship on certain days of the week.
You can fill your orders via the Thrive Market app or online on your internet browser. Thrive Market offers over 100 curated shopping lists, and allows you to shop by selecting the criteria that's important to you, including over 90 dietary preferences. "I love that I can filter for gluten-free for my partner who is celiac," said one of our testers. "The filters make it so easy to find Paleo-compliant options," added another. Overall, our registered dietitians and testers were very impressed with Thrive's best-in-class organic goods available at competitive prices.
READ OUR FULL REVIEW: My Honest Review of Thrive Market
Thrive Market
Best Grocery Delivery Service for the Northeast: FreshDirectMinimum Order: $30
Delivery Fee: Starting at $6
Membership: Optional DeliveryPass for unlimited free anytime deliveries; $79 for six months or $129/year
ORDER AT FRESHDIRECT.COM
This popular service delivers high-quality produce and meat selections — and we should know, since our Test Kitchen has groceries delivered from FreshDirect every week! You will find products from a wide range of brands, including national food companies and smaller local purveyors, as well as prepared platters, deli salads and ready-to-eat meals.
The service delivers to New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Washington D.C. You usually need to order a day in advance and any changes need to be made before the cutoff deadline. There is the option to create a weekly standing order with your usual groceries that you can easily customize. The service also offers a 100% Happiness Guarantee, where they will credit you if you don't like something you've received. And, if you prefer for your groceries to be delivered Tuesday through Thursday, you can save money with a midweek delivery subscription, which costs $39 for six months.
FreshDirect
Best Plant-Based Grocery Delivery Service: HungryrootORDER AT HUNGRYROOT.COM
Hungryroot is a grocery subscription service that combines shopping and meal planning — like a crossover between a meal delivery subscription and a grocery delivery service, catering to health-conscious and plant-based offerings. You'll start by completing a quiz on your food preferences and then the service creates a grocery plan and recipes to fill your cart each week. You can also mix and match by editing your delivery to get exactly what you need that week.
All products carried by Hungryroot are free from partially hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and artificial preservatives, which makes this service a standout to our in-house registered dietitians. Delivery is available in all states except Alaska and Hawaii.
Hungryroot
Best Sustainable Grocery Delivery Service: HiveORDER AT HIVEBRANDS.COM
This online marketplace makes sustainable and cause-based shopping easier. Experts at Hive thoroughly vet each product, prioritizing traceable ingredients, recyclable packaging, low-carbon footprints and brands that support important social causes. On Hive's site, you can find many of our Test Kitchen pros' favorite snacks, including Unreal Dark Chocolate Coconut Bars, Pipcorn Cheddar Cheese Balls, A Dozen Cousins Cuban Black Beans and more.
Hive uses 100% recyclable shipping materials and 99% of the product packaging they carry is recyclable, compostable or TerraCycle-able. The brand also claims to have offset 100% of the carbon they have used for their operations and deliveries, according to the website. You'll find everything from pantry and snack items to household and pet goods available on Hive.
Hive
Best Grocery Delivery Service for Seasonal Produce: Imperfect FoodsMinimum Order: None
Delivery Fee: $6 (delivery fee may be waived depending on location and order total)
Membership: Free to sign-up, no subscription or service fees
ORDER AT IMPERFECTFOODS.COM
Founded with a mission to reduce food waste, this company offers a variety of "imperfect" products that are perfectly good to use and would have otherwise gone to waste because of cosmetic quirks, irregular sizes or surplus supply (many items are labeled with their "imperfections"). You will find an assortment of farm-fresh seasonal produce, affordable pantry staples, animal- and plant-based proteins, dairy products, dairy-alternative items, beverages, snacks and more.
Imperfect Foods assigns you a delivery day based on your location, and you will have a "shopping window" where you can add or subtract items from your cart. Weekly shipments are sent in a 100% recycled box. You'll be charged for what's in your cart plus a delivery fee, but won't have to worry about any additional membership costs.
Last September, Misfits Market, another mission-driven grocery delivery service (and one of our GH Institute Nutrition Lab's favorite produce delivery boxes), announced that they would be acquiring Imperfect Foods. A representative from Imperfect Foods and Misfits Market told us that in the short-term, both brands will continue separate operations but you'll notice that the delivery boxes are co-branded. As an Imperfect Foods customer, you'll be able to take advantage of the Misfits Perks loyalty program and get access to the Misfits Market wine program.
READ OUR FULL REVIEW: Is the Imperfect Foods Delivery Service Worth It?
Imperfect Foods
How we chose the best grocery delivery servicesTo find the best grocery delivery services, our nutrition experts and culinary pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute reviewed dozens of grocery delivery services and subscription boxes.
We evaluated food quality, variety, availability, delivery fees, membership offerings and more. Our top picks offer excellent solutions for everyone from singles to large families. Some services offer same-day delivery, some are subscription-based and others provide wholesale offerings at competitive prices.
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Our consumer testers and registered dietitians tested out some of the grocery services for over a month in their own homes to get a better sense of convenience, cost, quality of goods and to understand how easy (or difficult) navigating each website or app is. Our in-house nutritionists also closely evaluated the nutritional value of some of each grocery delivery service's offerings.
Stefani Sassos
We also assessed the quality of each item in each delivery, checking to see if anything arrived broken or if anything leaked or thawed during transit.
Stefani Sassos
What are the benefits of buying groceries online?Convenience! Ordering groceries online means you don't have to make physical trips to the grocery store, so these services can save you time and stress. It can also make it easier to meal plan, since you can shop and map out meals simultaneously.
It's also easier to budget, since you can see what you're spending in real time. As you see your order adding up, it may prompt you to be more mindful of cost (and adjust your accordingly as needed).
Plus, many of online grocery stores and delivery services offer a wide selection of products, perhaps more options than you would find at your local supermarket or grocery store. You can also easily read reviews of products online while you're shopping, so you may be inspired to try something new after seeing it's well-rated online.
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Are grocery delivery services cheaper than buying in the store?It depends. One benefit to buying groceries online, besides convenience, is that you can easily double-check what groceries you already have at home while you're shopping, as well as compare prices across a few locations without having to physically run around to multiple stores.
You can also easily evaluate the cost of everything in your cart, and subtract items to adjust what you're spending. Seeing your cart add up in real time can be a game changer that makes you more conscious of your total spend!
While many services require you to spend extra on memberships, delivery and service fees, you still may find yourself saving money. Some subscription-based sites like Thrive Market, for instance, can be well worth it if you're frequently buying premium organic foods anyways.
It really boils down to your shopping habits and preferences. The best money-saving strategy often involves grocery shopping at a few different locations (read: online and in-person), as well as strategic bulk-purchasing and eating seasonally.
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How to find the best grocery delivery service for youOur experts recommend first looking at the minimum order requirements and delivery fees — and, of course, making sure the service delivers to your area. You'll also want to check to see if there is a membership option that could potentially save you money or provide additional perks and benefits.
If you typically shop from the same supermarket and prefer its offerings, it's worth seeing if their store offers an online grocery option or partners with a service like Instacart. Since it's in the best interest of the store or service to keep you coming back, many will offer loyal customers exclusive deals on their app so try sticking to the same service when possible for maximum benefits and rewards.
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Why trust Good Housekeeping?As director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab, Stefani Sassos oversees all of GH's nutrition content, product testing and evaluation. She stays up to date on the latest research to provide evidence-based reporting on all things diet and nutrition, and she also runs large-scale tests and analysis for products ranging from protein bars and supplements to meal delivery services. As a busy working mother, Stefani relies on online grocery services regularly to feed her family and is well versed in the current services and apps available.
This story was most recently updated by Good Housekeeping's Deputy Food Editor Trish Clasen Marsanico, who works hand in hand with Lab experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute to evaluate kitchen gear as well as food products and services. She has more than a decade of experience writing about food for GH, Women's Health, Prevention, Redbook, Woman's Day, The Daily Meal and Food Network.
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Grocery Store Innovation Can Save You Money While Solving A Major Problem: 'This Is Good Food We Are Talking About'
Swedish company Deligate is reimagining the grocery store with its Eat Soon program, shrinking food waste in the process.
Eat Soon allows shoppers to quickly identify food items that are close to their expiration date, providing them with discounts as a reward for buying food that's almost past its sell-by date. Shoppers scan short-dated food items at a station in a grocery store, which then applies higher discounts for products closer to expiring.
"Dynamic pricing is appealing to the customer, who can make real bargains at the station, but it's also beneficial for the store, avoiding setting too high discounts," said the company's CEO, Adam Vikström. "Eat Soon price goods just right."
The company's website claims that the service has helped stores double their sales of short-term items. Deligate says that Eat Soon boosts revenue by €1.24 or 31% per item. More importantly, the service chops the waste of short-term food items in half, as it drastically increases the amount of food that is sold instead of being thrown out by stores once it expires.
"This is good food we are talking about," Vikstorm said, "and we need to treat it with respect if we truly want to accomplish the food waste changes we are aiming for."
Deligate also offers a Smart Date Tracker app that allows stores to keep track of best-before dates so they can organize items according to their expiration dates.
Food waste is an enormous problem around the world — in the United States alone, we throw away around 119 billion pounds of food every year, according to Feeding America. Composting apps and scrap maximization are all good ways of combating the food waste problem, and ensuring that customers connect with expiring foods from stores so that they aren't thrown away is another great way to decrease waste.
"The dynamic pricing and store exposure of the Eat Soon stations cut waste in half and increases the revenue per short-dated product by an average of 1.12 Euro," Vikström said. "We have the long-term sales and waste statistics to prove it."
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