Best grocery delivery services for holiday emergencies
Forgot to go grocery shopping? Or forgot the baking soda for the cake you're making for that holiday get-together? Food delivery can get expensive. But not to worry. We've found the best grocery delivery services in 2023. These grocery delivery services let you order grocery items, snacks, prepared meals, alcohol and more right to your doorstep in as little as an hour. Not only are these grocery delivery services efficient, but many also come with great deals.
But how did we choose the best grocery delivery services in 2023? Read on to find out.
How we chose the best grocery delivery services
We looked at the most popular grocery delivery services in the U.S. and chose brands that serve the widest areas and offer the largest variety of food and beverages. These top-rated grocery delivery services charge varying prices to bring you monthly, weekly or daily loads of fruit and vegetables, meat and seafood, dairy, pasta and grains, snacks, beverages, alcohol, prepared items and more.
But how do you choose the right grocery delivery service for you? And is it worth it to get groceries delivered? If you lead a busy life, you might not always have time or energy to head to the grocery store.
How to choose the best grocery delivery service for you
You might be asking yourself, "what should I look for when trying to select the best grocery delivery service?"
Here are some things to consider: Who are these groceries feeding? If you're having a party, you might want to order from a service with a prepared foods section or get groceries from somewhere that can deliver alcohol. Do you want fresh produce and meat delivered or only non-perishables? Do you want to shop mostly organic and non-GMO foods? What's your budget? And how often do you want groceries delivered?
We've found the most popular grocery delivery services that you can order from right now.
What are the most popular grocery delivery services?
Maybe you've heard these names before. See why Instacart, Walmart, Amazon and more have some of the best grocery delivery services in 2023.
Instacart
Instacart delivers from a variety of grocery stores (it depends, as always, on where you're located) and in some areas, also delivers from liquor stores, pet stores and pharmacies. You can even order from Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale through Instacart without needing to have a membership to those brick-and-mortar stores (though the same items will cost you more than they would in-store for members)—so it's potentially comparable to Amazon's grocery options, without the annual fee.
Walmart+
Walmart grocery delivery includes fresh produce, deli counter favorites, pantry items, bakery goods, frozen foods and alcohol. The retailer partners with local, third-party drivers to bring your order right to your door. Walmart+ members who spend at least $35 on an order don't have to pay a delivery fee to have fresh groceries and more delivered right to their door.
You can also order online and pick up your completed order at your convenience anywhere. While it may not be quite as easy as home delivery, it's still quicker than shopping yourself and means there's no extra fee. Either way, prices are always the same as in-store, and same-day pickup service is available.
Walmart+ costs $12.95 per month. An annual subscription is also available for $98. The retailer is currently offering a 30-day free trial.
Amazon
Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, Bristol Farms and more offer grocery delivery and pickup through Amazon.
Meet all your grocery needs with Amazon Fresh, or have your favorite Whole Foods and Bristol Farms selections delivered to your home. All one- and two-hour delivery orders from Whole Foods Market will include a $10 service fee. Amazon Fresh has retail stores in select locations. Note that you now no longer need to be a Prime member to use the service (in select cities). Non-Prime members can now pay $7.95 and up for deliveries.
Get your first week of Prime for just $1.99
Gopuff
Gopuff, a delivery service that offers groceries, snacks, alcohol and more, has a new benefit that can save you a lot of money. The FAM subscription gives members free delivery, plus a 30% discount on some of the most popular products you can buy. There are new deals just for FAM members, too.
Get a 14-day free trial of the service to see if it's right for you. It normally costs $7.99 per month. The company is also offering $20 off your first order with the code welcome20.
Shipt
Shipt is pretty similar to Instacart, but it has a less widespread range of grocery stores and requires that you do purchase a membership to use the app, at $99/year or $10.99/month. College students can sign up for only $4.99 a month.
The benefit is that you basically have a personal shopper whom you can text with specific instructions and requests, so you get exactly what you want. You can even order items that aren't listed in the app but that you know the store carries. They deliver from Target, Kroger and Meijer grocery stores as well as CVS. There's also never any surge pricing and no delivery charge on orders over $35 for Shipt members.
Get a 14-day free trial when you sign up now.
Which online organic grocery delivery services are the best?
These grocery delivery services focus on organic produce, healthy snacks and even eco-friendly body care. Learn more about Thrive Market and Hungryroot below.
Thrive Market
A Thrive Market membership starts at $5 a month. The membership fee gives you access to Thrive Market's discounted prices and exclusive sales on organic, healthy and alternative pantry essentials, sustainable meat and seafood, non-toxic cleaning, beauty items and more.
To best assess your grocery needs, Thrive Market asks you whom you're feeding, what you like to buy, how often you grocery shop, if you have any special food needs and what food-related values or causes are most important to you -- including organic eating, sustainable sourcing, animal welfare, artificial ingredients and more.
Hungryroot
Hungryroot offers "good for you" groceries that can easily be turned into recipes. Hungryroot customers take a short quiz to learn more about how they eat and what their goals are. The grocery delivery then recommends fresh produce, sauces and dips, meat and seafood, plant-based proteins, pasta and grains and more. Hungryroot offers a wide selection of organic and non-GMO produce and foods.
Right now, the brand is offering 30% off plus a free gift for life. All you have to do is create an account and select your free item when you sign up.
