
Get everything you need to cook at home (without actually leaving home) with these options for grocery delivery in NYC
Written by Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner & Bao Ong
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Let’s face it: even though there are enough amazing restaurants in New York to keep you busy all year, you can’t eat out every night. Ditto takeout and delivery. You have to be a grownup and cook for yourself every once in a while. If the thought of going to the grocery puts you on edge though, you’re in luck. We’ve rounded up the best options for grocery delivery in NYC so you can get your supplies without having to deal with the stress of actually going to the store.
It’s time to get cooking, and these grocery delivery services can help. As a reward for all your future cooking, we’ve got you covered for the best wine delivery and best cheese delivery services in the city too. Cheers!
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Best grocery delivery in NYC
1.Fresh Direct
Fresh Direct has more or less become a household name in New York City over the20 years it’s been around. Though Fresh Direct won't entice more frugral shoppers, its prices are comparable tothe ones you'll see in brick-and-mortar NYC grocery stores. Thein-house bakery and partnerships with local farms also mean that theofferings often win points for freshness. For unlimited deliveries, it's $13.17/month plus taxes but be on the lookout for promotions for one-off deals giving you a one-time free pass.
Mercato partners with local food purveyors to deliver specialty local items directly to you. Get the catch of the day from Greenpoint Fish & Lobster, Italian provisions from B&A Pork Store, Japanese groceries from Sunrise Mart, cheese from Murray’s Cheese and more specific groceries from hyper-specific stores worth traveling to - only you don’t have to! Delivery typically costs around $10, but an annual membership for your neighborhood or the entire city ranges from $8-$19, billed monthly.
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3.Instacart
Unlike Fresh Direct or Amazon,Instacart sends out personal shoppers to fetch your itemsrather than delivering from a massive private inventory. This is a big plus for all the people who can’t live without specific brands. And if something is out of stock, you get an actual human suggesting substitutions. However, many NYC grocery stores already mark up their prices and you’re meant to tip your shopper, too. But if you can't function without your favorite brand of almond butter, the extra money for delivery is probably worth it to avoidthose long, shuffling lines at your local market.Instacart shoppers can also help you gain access to NYC’s membership stores, like Costco, without your own membership, and will trek to Wegman’s or specialty retailers when you can’t make it.
4.Amazon Fresh
Amazon is the third richest organizations in the world and it’seasy to see why: they get you with the subscriptions. Amazon Freshis free with aPrime memership ($12.99/month). However, they do have huge warehouses with a wide variety of products, so if you’re willing to pay for it, you can have fuss-free simplicity at your fingertips. Meaning you can get the latest music releases and a pair of sunnies, while you’re picking out your groceries.
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5.Google Shopping
For anyone who has been trying to fill the Costco-size void left in after movingto the city, GoogleShoppingis here for you. You can order in bulk from stores in your area, including, yes, Costco, along with Fairway, Target, PetSmart and even the Chinese supermarket chain 99 Ranch Market. The minimum purchase required for free delivery varies from store to store, but usually tops out at $25 or $35. Unfortunately, it does not offer fresh fruit and vegetables, but if you’re trying to stockpile dry goods, pet food and a year’s worth of toilet paper, look no further.
6.Thrive Market
Wholesome foods at wholesale prices is the M.O. of this wellness-focused online grocery, which has a membership of $5 a month. You can shop by diet and lifestyle needs (gluten-free, vegan, keto), and the shopoffers a wide range of organic foods, as well as clean beauty and nontoxic homeproducts. Shipping is carbon-neutral, packaging is compostable, and every annual membership sponsors a family in need.
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7.Seamless
Though it's primarily used for restaurant delivery and takeout, Seamless also offers grocery delivery from markets, delis, bakeries and bodegas around the city. Handy labels reveal each store's delivery fee and order minimum, so it's easy to see which nearby option will be cheapest. Seamless tends to work with smaller vendors than some of the other services on this list, but that can actually work to your benefit.Since the order minimums are lower, it's a great option if you just need a quart of milkor six-pack of beerdelivered.
8.Postmates
Fancy something from Fairway but a little something else from Whole Foods? Get your Postmate on the case. These guys will zip around the city, picking up the products and brands you want, and will even aim to get them to you within 30 minutes if possible. And if you don't know what exactly you want, they have service for that too! Delivery fees start at 99 cents-$3.99 for partner merchants and $5.99-$9.99 for others or, for one $99.99payment, you can have free unlimited delivery for the year. There's a free seven-day trial too, so you can cancel post-haste if you change your mind.
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9.Max Delivery
Max Delivery is possibly your best option when you need to prep dinner the night of a big dinner party and you just realized your kitchen is empty. There's also a delivery fee refund if it doesn’t make it to your doorstep within the promised time. Max’s prices compete with NYC supermarkets, and though it doesn’t have the largest selection on this list, you can still find some very appealing goodies in its Best of NY section from places like Murray’s Cheese and Balthazar Bakery. Plus, there’s no delivery fee for orders over $125, which is totally doable.
10.Boxed
For us no-car New Yorkers, buying in bulk can be a pain—literally. (The shoulder ache after hauling a sack of potatoes onto the subway is real, yo.) Boxed is here to help: The membership-free delivery service offers everyday groceries, household items, and health supplies in bulk at wholesale prices, so you can easily stock up for winter or the next governmental lockdown, whichever comes first.
Once exclusively available to high-end chefs, Natoora opened up to everyday consumers in 2020, allowing New Yorkers to access excellent specialty produce from the tristate area. The app is appealing to scroll through as you pre-order deliveries of seasonal fruits, vegetables, baked goods, poultry, dried goods and more. The prices aren’t the cheapest, but the quality is top notch, and worth the splurge for a special recipe or occasion. Natoora currently delivers throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, plus The Hamptons on Saturdays.
This Long Island-based digital farmer’s market is perfect for plant-based eaters and omnivores alike. Every item on the site has sourcing and season information, and pricing is pretty similar to quality New York supermarkets. A robust pantry section also curates local items like tortilla chips from Tortilleria Nixtamal, juices from Red Jacket, local honey, grains, dips and more. Meal kits, like a shakshuka box from Manhattan restaurant Shuka, and pre-made meals, are also a nice local alternative to larger name brands. Delivery is $7 in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Long Island.
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FAQs
What service is better than Instacart? ›
Other important factors to consider when researching alternatives to Instacart include customer service. We have compiled a list of solutions that reviewers voted as the best overall alternatives and competitors to Instacart, including goPuff, Shipt, Rappi, and FreshDirect.
What is the best online grocery delivery? ›- Best Overall: Walmart+ InHome.
- Best for Singles: Instacart.
- Best for Families: Shipt.
- Best for Prime Members: Amazon Fresh.
- Best for Northeast Area: Fresh Direct.
- Best Plant-Based: Hungryroot.
- Best for Special Diets: Thrive Market.
- Best for Bulk Groceries: Boxed.
- Bigbasket: The best grocery delivery app. Bigbasket has to be on the list when we mention the grocery delivery apps. ...
- Grofers: Grocery delivery app. ...
- Flipkart Supermart: ...
- Dunzo: ...
- Spencer's: ...
- Nature's Basket:
- Instacart. Minimum order: $10. ...
- Walmart+ Minimum order: $35. ...
- Stop & Shop. Minimum order: $60. ...
- Shipt. Minimum order: None. ...
- FreshDirect. Minimum order: $30. ...
- Thrive Market. Minimum order: $49. ...
- Boxed. Minimum order: $49 for free shipping. ...
- Misfits Market. Minimum order: $30.
Potential downsides of Instacart
may be more expensive than in-store shopping due to higher priced items and delivery and service fees. could be difficult to use for those who have limited experience using technology or lack access to the internet or a smartphone.
Frequently asked questions about Shipt and Instacart
Shipt is more expensive for one-time orders because they charge a $10 delivery fee plus delivery and service fees, while Instacart's fees begin at $3.99 plus a small service fee. However, Shipt is less expensive for membership orders.
- Toast TakeOut.
- Uber Eats.
- DoorDash.
- ChowNow.
- Grub Hub.
- Caviar.
- Seamless.
- Postmates.
- Best overall: Sunbasket | Sign up now at Sunbasket.
- Best for prepared meals: Factor | Sign up now at Factor.
- Best for healthy eaters: Green Chef | Sign up now at Green Chef.
- Best for families: HelloFresh | Sign up now at HelloFresh.
...
Here's the list of online grocery stores in India you can trust.
- Amazon Pantry. ...
- Blinkit (formerly Grofers) ...
- Big Basket. ...
- Nature's Basket. ...
- Spencers. ...
- Zopnow. ...
- Flipkart Supermarket. ...
- Paytm Mall.
- Bigbasket.
- Blinkit.
- Big bazaar.
- Paytmmall.
- Sparindia.
- Snapdeal.
- Easyday.
- DealShare.
Which grocery app delivers fastest? ›
Dunzo is a 24x7 delivery app that delivers anything to your doorstep instantly. With Dunzo Daily as its prime offering, you can get all your online grocery shopping done from one place. From shopping for daily Groceries to Fruits & Vegetables, Meat & more, Dunzo is the only online grocery delivery app you'll ever need.
Who does Aldi use for delivery? ›Save time by ordering your favorite ALDI items online when you visit shop.aldi.us or view all Curbside pickup locations using our Store Locator. Your Instacart Personal Shopper will carefully select items to fulfill your order and will notify you if an item is out of stock.
What app is used to deliver groceries? ›Instacart delivers fresh food, alcohol, and household items the same day all across the US. Download the app to see what stores are available in your zip code.
Can you trust Instacart? ›Is Instacart legit? Instacart is a reputable business that provides a safe, convenient way to buy groceries without needing to visit stores. The service can be a game-changer for busy families — grocery shopping is a time-consuming errand, and having the ability to assign it to someone else frees up hours in your day.
Is Instacart losing customers? ›...
How Much More Than In-Store Pricing are Instacart Prices? Because retailers set their prices in Instacart, there's no set fee or percentage you should expect to see when you shop in the app. Some Instacart users have reported average increases of 15-17% on grocery items, which seems to be average.
How much is Instacart a month? ›How much does Instacart+ cost? For a flat standard fee of $99/year or $9.99/month, members enjoy unlimited free delivery on orders of $35 or more (per retailer), and other benefits.
Who gets paid more Shipt or Instacart? ›Pay is comparable between the two services.
Shipt pays experienced shoppers anywhere from $16 to $22 an hour. Although Instacart doesn't publish its estimated hourly rates, drivers report making up to $17 per hour on Glassdoor. The amount you'll make will depend on where you live and how many orders you shop.
- Instacart. Salary: the typical Instacart delivery driver earns $29 per hour1 and about $25,165 per year6. ...
- Shipt. ...
- Uber Eats. ...
- Amazon Flex. ...
- 5 DoorDash. ...
- Postmates. ...
- Caviar. ...
- Grubhub.
Each order you deliver with Shipt starts at a commission of $5. After that, you're paid a commission of 7.5% on the order size. For instance, if you deliver an order that amounts to $100 in groceries, then you'll earn a total of $12.50. If the order came to $200, you would make $20.
What is the most successful delivery company? ›
1. UPS. UPS is a delivery company that handles shipping and logistics solutions for both businesses and individuals. Originally founded in 1907, UPS has since grown to become the largest courier company in the US and one of the biggest in the world, with a presence in over 200 countries.
What delivery service gets the most tips? ›All About Tips
According to our results, drivers report that Uber Eats is the best app to receive the most tips, with DoorDash coming in second by a wide margin. Several drivers stated they have received a $50 or more tip. One said, “I got 3 $100 tips within 2 weeks on small fast food orders!”
- HelloFresh. Overall best healthy meal delivery for most. ...
- Fresh N Lean. Best healthy prepared meal delivery (no cooking required) ...
- Home Chef. Best healthy meal delivery for keto and low-carb diets. ...
- Blue Apron. Best healthy meal kits for calorie counting. ...
- Green Chef.
Every food delivery service has them, but Uber Eats has the cheapest delivery fee by far. You can get most delivery fees waived if you pay $9.99/month for unlimited delivery as an Uber One subscriber, but for everybody else, delivery fees range from $0.99 to $2.99 per order on orders within five miles.
What is the most ordered food USA? ›- Burrito (bowl or regular)
- Cheeseburger.
- Cheese Pizza.
- Pad Thai.
- Chicken Quesadilla.
- California Roll.
- Fried Chicken Sandwich.
- Caesar Salad.
- 2 5lb bags bulk chicken leg quarters – $5.90 (Walmart)
- 10 lbs ground turkey – $10 (H-E-B)
- Eggs – 1 dozen – $0.69 (Aldi)
- 1 package of corn tortillas (80 count) – $1.98 (Aldi)
- 1 lb. ...
- Shredded cheese 1 lb – $2.99 (Aldi)
- 1 package of baby spinach – $1.98 (H-E-B)
- Make a list of your favorite budget-friendly meals and eat those.
- Pack lunches for work or school instead of eating out.
- Make your grocery list and menu plan focused on the food that is on sale and what you already have in your kitchen.
tesco.com leads the specialist ranking of online supermarkets, with 2020 net sales of almost US$6 billion.
What are 3 disadvantages of grocery shopping online? ›- It can be more expensive. Depending on the store, there can be additional costs for usage and delivery fees.
- You cannot handpick each item. Buying fresh produce can be a challenge since you are unable to see the quality of the item before you buy it.
- You may still need to go the grocery store.
Before we explain how to save, it's important to know that Walmart grocery online prices are the same prices you'd pay in a store. They never inflate their grocery prices for delivery or pickup orders.
Which online store has fastest delivery? ›
- Free People. ...
- Target. ...
- Sephora. ...
- Nordstrom. ...
- Ulta. ...
- Revolve. ...
- Madewell. ...
- Kate Spade Surprise.
“10-minute delivery will be for specific nearby locations, popular and standardised menu items only,” Zomato said. A customer can simply place an order for 10-minute delivery, and a delivery partner will pick up the order and deliver it to your location.
Why is Instacart delivery so slow? ›There are numerous reasons why Instacart deliveries are slow in your area, which include: Fewer shoppers available. Your home is located far from the shop. The time you requested groceries is busy with orders.
Does Instacart charge more for groceries from Aldi? ›A. Customers can always count on ALDI for the lowest prices on groceries, every day. However, prices on Instacart may vary slightly from in-store prices in your area. In some instances, prices of items on Instacart may be higher to cover the cost of personal shopping for delivery.
How much do you tip for delivery at Aldi? ›If they do a great job, then consider tipping them anywhere from 10% to 25%. Your driver will receive 100% of the tip amount because neither ALDI nor Instacart takes any amount from the tipping section inside the app.
Do you tip for Aldi delivery? ›You don't need to tip an ALDI Pickup order. The app doesn't even give you an option to tip when using ALDI Pickup. Instead, it says that ALDI team members don't accept tips as they would rather pass those savings on to you.
How far will Instacart deliver? ›Place your order with peace of mind.
How do I quit Instacart? ›You can request to delete your account in the Privacy Management Portal in your Instacart Shopper app. You'll receive an email from OneTrust with further instructions. Once you get the email, select Confirm in the email. Please do so within 7 days or you'll have to submit another request to delete your account.
Does Instacart run your credit? ›Instacart does not run their background checks; instead, they employ two different companies which do so for them: Checkr and Sterling.
Is there another service like Instacart? ›Its Amazon Fresh platform is an online grocery store like Instacart. Consumers can purchase fresh produce, meat, dairy, seafood, packaged foods, and Whole Foods 365 products via Amazon Fresh. Like Instacart, Amazon Fresh offers grocery delivery for free.
Is there a competitor to Instacart? ›
Instacart competitors include Blue Apron, Grubhub, Postmates and DoorDash.
What delivery service makes the most money? ›- Instacart. Salary: the typical Instacart delivery driver earns $29 per hour1 and about $25,165 per year6. ...
- Shipt. ...
- Uber Eats. ...
- Amazon Flex. ...
- 5 DoorDash. ...
- Postmates. ...
- Caviar. ...
- Gopuff.
Grubhub Comparison to Instacart
Grubhub is similar to Instacart in that users can pay a monthly fee to receive free delivery. Grubhub is different than Instacart because it focuses on food delivery from restaurants rather than grocery stores.
Instacart received an almost 40% degrade in valuation in 2022, dropping from $39 billion to $24 billion.
Why are Instacart prices so high? ›One of the reasons for price increases is that Instacart receives a commission on each sale through its partnered stores. To alleviate that loss in revenue, stores will increase prices for app users. Keep in mind that if you shop directly through your store's app, you likely won't see that upcharge.
Is Instacart more expensive than shopping yourself? ›Instacart is a popular national delivery service and functions as a third-party shopper and delivery outfit that allows you to order groceries from a selection of local supermarkets. You'll essentially be paying the same prices as if you visited the store yourself, plus a $4 delivery fee and tip.
What city is Instacart most popular? ›- Denver.
- Houston.
- Los Angeles.
- Miami.
- New York.
- Philadelphia.
- Seattle.
- Washington, D.C.
Instacart is an American retail company that operates a grocery delivery and pick-up service in the United States and Canada. The company offers its services via a website and mobile app.
What is the difference between Instacart and Shipt? ›Shipt is a delivery service provider that was launched in 2014 with its headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama. It lets consumers order groceries and household items via the Shipt app or website. Instacart is a delivery service that lets consumers buy groceries through the Instacart app or website.
How to make $1,000 a week with Uber Eats? ›- Don't Skip Weekends.
- Tips Are Crucial.
- Look For Peak Pay.
- Don't Work For The Sake Of Work.
- Double-Up On Delivery Apps.
- Save Money On Gas.
- Know When To Cancel Orders.
- Test Different Markets.