Time is money and online grocery delivery services can save you both. One can assume that this convenience will attract high delivery fees, making local store prices more attractive. Fortunately, that’s hardly the case.
We researched grocery shopping in the United States and found some exciting facts. Above all, we discovered that making grocery orders online costs almost the same as in regular stores. This fact remains valid in New York, Chicago and any US city.
So, in this article, we’ll discuss online grocery delivery services in-depth. We’ll also review multiple stores that offer the best grocery delivery services.
Pros and Cons of Using Grocery Delivery Services
Grocery delivery services offer same-day delivery grocery shopping. However, does that make them the best way to buy household goods? Let’s find out.
Pros
- Doorstep grocery delivery
- Wide variety of products
- Sometimes free delivery
- Budget-friendly and a good option to track your expenses on grocery items.
- It saves time, as you don’t have to make frequent trips to the foods market or local store
- Nutritional information is accessible on the website
Cons
- Food items may not exactly be fresh produce. Unlike store-bought items, you can’t verify their freshness.
- Scheduling delivery times may be difficult, as it can conflict with your schedule.
- Minimum order requirements and extra cost of delivery
- Lots of packaging equals wastage
Top Grocery Delivery Services in the United States
Here are the top five grocery delivery services in the United States, in no particular order:
Amazon/Amazon Fresh
Amazon Fresh is a grocery store exclusively for people with an amazon prime membership. Amazon prime membership allows you to order a wide variety of grocery items. These include household products, meat, fresh produce, snacks, and other grocery items. You can find all items sold at regular grocery stores at Amazon’s lower prices. Their customer service is also fantastic. Prime members get free delivery when they buy Amazon and Whole Foods products. However, you must have a minimum of $50. Amazon Fresh allows prime members to skip long checkout lines. It also offers same-day delivery with short delivery times.
Shopping with Amazon Fresh is easy. Customers only have to sign into the Fresh App or their Amazon Prime account. Next, choose between attended and unattended delivery. Finally, you can select any of the available delivery times.
If you’re using the attended delivery option, someone must be home to receive the grocery order. Unattended delivery, on the other hand, drops off your grocery order at your doorstep. The items are stored in temperature-regulated tote bags to keep them fresh till you return home.
Instacart
Instacart is an online grocery delivery that allows you to shop from your favorite stores. This service gives users access to a wide variety of local stores. These stores are all tested and trusted by the grocery delivery service.
New users also get a free trial that offers unlimited two-week deliveries. After the free trial, you’ll pay a membership fee of $99 a year.
One perk using Instacart Express is that you’ll get 5% credit back on eligible pickup orders. This freebie, however, excludes alcohol purchases. Also, Instacart charges lower delivery fees and provides excellent customer service.
Same-day delivery fees start at $3.99 for orders above $35. Orders below $35 have varying delivery fees. They also charge Service fees depending your location, type, and the number of items you buy.
Walmart Grocery
If you’re too busy to shop your grocery items yourself, Walmart Grocery can be your personal shopper. The major retailer allows users to shop for pantry staples and other household products. You can do this from the grocery section on the Walmart App.
It’s easy to shop via Walmart Grocery. Firstly, select a store. Fill your cart with dietary needs, cleaning supplies, and other household goods. Next, click on “check out.”
Pickup availability varies from store to store. But orders that come in before 4 pm typically go out the same day.
Most locations offer unlimited free deliveries on orders above $35. However, you should expect a $5.99 pickup charge on orders below $35. Alternatively, If you subscribe to Walmart+, you get to pay a one-time annual membership fee of $98. It covers delivery charges on all your orders throughout the year.
Boxed
Boxed is a world-class online grocery delivery service that allows you to save money by buying in bulk. This service is a good option as it offers lower prices than local stores. Buyers also enjoy free delivery on order minimum of $49 and above. It is not ideal for personal shoppers looking to make smaller orders.
They can shop for basic household goods and pantry essentials. Others are fresh and frozen food, alcohol, and more. Plus, each order comes with free samples. To top it, new shoppers get a 20% discount and free shipping on their first order.
From fresh fruit to drinks, you can get all your household items in bulk with Boxed. You can also take advantage of the low delivery fees instead of buying at multiple stores. Overall, the Boxed app allows you to shop anywhere, anytime, from the comfort of your phone, in minutes.
OjaExpress
We believe we saved the best for last. OjaExpress is an online grocery delivery service where you can buy imported food ingredients. This service connects immigrants to the local international markets within their zip code. OjaExpress grocery delivery service specifically targets underrepresented groups and was founded to support the community of foreigners in the diaspora. The reason is that it builds its space on inclusion, diversity, and fairness. The goal is to enable them to recreate their favorite food memories from home.
OjaExpress curates authentic food items from around the world and lets you find them in your zip code. They partner with trusted food markets to deliver fresh produce to kitchens in the United States.
Popular grocery items on this online grocery delivery service are grains, cooking supplies, utensils, meat, etc. The minimum order requirement is $29.99 from each listed store. Whether big or smaller orders, deliveries are fast, convenient, and same-day. You can explore our blog for recipes to make at home with ingredients from our store. We have a variety of recipes you can explore, starting with this!
As part of its plan to give back to the community, OjaExpress has an internship program. This internship is open to college undergrads and graduates. Interns can take risks and bring unique ideas to the table. OjaExpress allows them to perform responsibilities they can’t get while in larger firms. It presents the perfect learning opportunity to gain valuable experience in sales and customer service.
We’ve reviewed five of the best grocery delivery services online. For us, OjaExpress stands out as the best for personal shoppers and everyone else. It offers unique services different from the other brands we reviewed.
Then, it has a one-of-a-kind internship opportunity. We recommend OjaExpress for quality, fresh produce, and all grocery items at fair prices that you can prepare delicious new meals with! Check them out and see if they deliver to your city!
