Best grocery delivery for those in the Northeast

FreshDirect

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See at Instacart

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See at Shipt

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According to some reports, as much as half of the US population participates in some form of online grocery shopping. There are now dozens of places online to buy your weekly provisions and have them shipped directly to your home. Much like meal kits and meal delivery services, these companies provide lightning-fast shipping, competitive prices and major convenience in hopes of earning a slice of your weekly food budget.

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For a monthly or yearly membership fee, Thrive Market members can shop via the platform primarily for pantry and frozen staples, which come with a low-price guarantee. The platform also includes other household staples such as beauty, bath and body, vitamins and supplements and even wine. We found that the selection at Thrive was more than sufficient to provide a lot of great options for pantry staples, including its own proprietary brand of more than 700 items, snacks, and especially frozen proteins and meals. 

What we like:

• Good for ordering pantry and protein staples
• Wide selection of ethically responsible products
• Eco-friendly packaging and shipping

What we don’t like:

• No fresh produce or dairy
• Must buy into a membership in order to browse

Coverage area: Available for all contiguous US addresses.

Fees and pricing: Annual membership for Thrive Market is $60, which you pay upfront. Memberships billed monthly are offered for $12. At more than twice the cost, the annual membership is really worth it, especially since it works out to only $5 per month, which you will easily save in one order. Based on my experience, you may save $5 with just two items.

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Hungryroot (full review here) is a grocery subscription service that makes weekly suggestions based on a quiz you’ll take to gauge your eating habits and dietary preferences. One of this service’s unique features is that it offers simple and flexible meal ideas with the necessary groceries to make them. It’s somewhere between a meal kit and a grocery delivery service and is great for those looking for breakfast, lunch and dinner inspiration. 

The online grocery market stocks a good amount of quality, organic and specialty items including meat, seafood, produce, snacks and pantry items, but you won’t find as many options as vendors such as Amazon Fresh or FreshDirect. 

Once the initial suggested list is formulated, you can remove any grocery items and add others based on a credit system. I priced out a full list from Hungryroot and compared it to an average grocery store. By my calculations, Hungryroot is about 8% to 10% more expensive. The interface and ordering platform are both intuitive and even fun to use. 

What we like:

• Creative and simple recipe suggestions
• Unique and interesting groceries
• Fun and easy interface

What we don’t like:

• A bit more expensive than some other services
• Overall grocery selection is limited
• Requires a subscription and minimum weekly order

Coverage area: Most ZIP codes in the continental US and Washington, DC.

Fees and pricing: Hungryroot plans start at $65 a week for meals that net about six servings. The cost per serving gets significantly cheaper if you order more food. Plans under $70 are charged another $7 per delivery. Plans over $70 receive free shipping. You can pause or cancel without penalty at any time.

Minimum order: $65

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Instacart is a local grocery delivery service and operates differently than the first two on our list. This third-party service hires shoppers to head to a local store of your choosing, buy the items and deliver them to your door. The good news is you’ll get to order from your favorite local grocery store if you have one you like. Instacart is available for most grocery chains — Publix, Aldi, Stop & Shop and Costco — but the store options will vary depending on your location.

The downside is that you have to be at attention and check the app for messages from your shopper while they’re shopping in case certain items are out of stock. The shopper will typically send photos of potential replacements in real time for you to approve or reject. It can be a little bit stressful and time-consuming but it’s still a time-saver over going to the store yourself. You can also track the grocery delivery in real time via the mobile app to see when it will arrive. 

Instacart also marks prices up on most groceries, sometimes as much as 14%. And there’s a delivery fee and suggested tipping associated with each order, making it one of the more expensive options on our list. In addition to delivery, Instacart offers in-store pickup for online orders at some stores.

What we like:

• Includes multiple stores from your local area
• A larger total selection of grocery items than most services

What we don’t like:

• Real-time shoppers require your attention for replacements
• Generally more expensive than other services
• Fewer deals and sales

Coverage area: More than 1,000 cities in North America.

Fees and pricing: Instacart delivery fee starts at $4 but varies based on retailer and region. There is also a suggested driver/shopper tip. A membership for unlimited deliveries costs $10 per month or $99 per year.

Minimum order: $10

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Target-owned Shipt is similar to Instacart, offering personal shoppers who will secure your desired list from local supermarket chains and wholesale outlets — Target included. Shipt focuses more on discount area retailers, including Costco, so you’ll find plenty of deals and bulk savings. 

Besides the wealth of low prices, another big draw for using Shipt is having groceries delivered same-day, sometimes as quickly as an hour. Other services require you to schedule delivery times days in advance. This is great if you’re not the best at planning your weekly routine and often need groceries in a hurry. 

You can also tack on far more than groceries, especially if your order is from Target. Need a pound of potatoes, a table lamp and a smartwatch? Shipt can bring it all to your door.

What we like:

• Tons of discounts and deals 
• Same-day delivery
• Delivery from pharmacies, pet stores and home supply stores available

What we don’t like:

• Not as great of a selection of small, local grocery stores
• The website and app aren’t the best 

Coverage area: More than 500 cities in North America.

Fees and pricing: One-time delivery fee is $10. A monthly membership for unlimited deliveries is $11 and a yearly membership costs $99.

Minimum order: None

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