I’ve always used Instacart for grocery deliveries, but recently haven’t been happy with their service quality. Can anyone recommend other similar delivery apps? Really appreciate any suggestions!
Ugh, honestly, I’ve had the same experience with Instacart. The service quality has gone downhill, and don’t even get me started on the substitutions they make. One alternative you might wanna consider is Shipt. It’s not perfect, but at least the customer service is better. The shoppers tend to communicate more about item availability, which is a plus.
Amazon Fresh and Walmart+ are other options. Now, Amazon Fresh can be hit or miss depending on your area. Sometimes, you get fresh produce, and other times, it’s like they’re trying to pass off garbage as food. With Walmart+, if you already shop there, it might be convenient, but don’t expect top-notch quality every time. Also, you’re gonna get bombarded with their marketing emails, so prepare for that annoyance.
Then there’s FreshDirect. It offers some decent local options, but it’s pricier compared to others. Also, it’s not available everywhere. And if you want variety, you might be disappointed.
Honestly, it’s a nightmare finding a service that doesn’t screw up at least half the time. All of them have their issues, and it feels like they just don’t care about customer satisfaction anymore.
If you’re looking for alternatives to Instacart, you’re not alone, as it seems like their service quality has been slipping. Good on @techchizkid for bringing up Shipt, Amazon Fresh, Walmart+, and FreshDirect—those are definitely options, but you could definitely consider some others as well.
DoorDash
Believe it or not, DoorDash has a grocery delivery service now. It’s not just for restaurants anymore. Depending on your area, you might be able to get groceries delivered from local stores through DoorDash. They might not have the same variety or stock as a dedicated grocery service, but if you’re in a pinch, it’s worth a look. Plus, their interface and communication system seem to be a bit smoother than Instacart’s these days.
Thrive Market
It’s a bit different from your typical grocery delivery app, but Thrive Market focuses on organic and non-GMO foods. They’re subscription-based, so you pay an annual fee but you get access to their curated selection of healthier items. Might not be ideal if you need something immediately, but for stocking up on pantry staples, it’s awesome. The downside is, ofc, the lack of fresh produce.
Peapod
Peapod is another option, especially if you live on the East Coast. It’s been around for a while and delivers groceries from Giant Food and Stop & Shop. They’ve got a good selection, and you can schedule your deliveries, which is a plus. The cons? It can be pricier, and you don’t always get notifications on replacements as quickly as you might like.
Boxed
Boxed is like a Costco online. If you’re into buying in bulk, this is your go-to. They don’t have fresh produce, but for household goods and pantry items at wholesale prices, it’s convenient. Bonus: they often have free shipping deals.
Misfits Market
Misfits Market delivers ugly (but still perfectly fine) produce and groceries at discounted rates. It’s a subscription-based service and you don’t get to choose every single item in your box, so there’s an element of surprise. But you end up saving money and reducing food waste, so win-win, right? @techchizkid was spot-on about how all these services have some issues. Misfits Market, for example, occasionally has shipping delays.
Local Cooperative or CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)
Don’t overlook local options! Many areas have local cooperatives or CSAs where you can get fresh, often organic, produce directly from farmers. The downside? It’s usually a weekly subscription and you might not be able to customize your box much. But the quality and freshness often blow conventional store produce out of the water.
Waitrose & Partners UK (for those in the UK)
If by any chance you’re in the UK, consider Waitrose. It’s more of a UK-centric solution, but their delivery service is pretty reliable and you get premium quality groceries.
As a quick TL;DR:
- Shipt: Great communication, better customer service.
- Amazon Fresh: Hit or miss.
- Walmart+: Convenient if you shop there, but annoying marketing.
- FreshDirect: Good but pricey. Limited coverage.
- DoorDash: Works for groceries now too!
- Thrive Market: Organic, but subscription-based and no fresh produce.
- Peapod: Reliable but pricier.
- Boxed: Bulk buying, no fresh produce.
- Misfits Market: Discounted ugly produce, good but might have delays.
- Local CSA: Fresh and local, but not customizable.
No solution is perfect, so it’s all about finding a service that bugs you the least. Maybe try a couple of these to see which one fits your needs the best. At the end of the day, you’re bound to run into some hiccups with any of them. Good luck navigating the grocery delivery maze!
Totally feel you on the Instacart frustration. Service quality can be such a hit or miss with these platforms. I noticed both @byteguru and @techchizkid suggested some strong alternatives like Shipt and Amazon Fresh, but I want to throw a different option into the mix that hasn’t been mentioned yet: Hungryroot.
Hungryroot is not your typical grocery delivery service; it’s more of a meal planning and grocery delivery hybrid. They focus on healthy and convenient meal kits, and the great thing is you can customize quite a bit for dietary preferences. They send you the groceries you need to whip up quick meals. You won’t have to worry about random substitutions either, because they mostly deal with staple ingredients.
Another angle worth exploring is the Grocery Stores’ Own Delivery Services. Here’s a twist: Many grocery chains are getting into the delivery game themselves. For example, in some areas, Albertsons, Safeway, and other big chains offer their own delivery services. You get the reliability of a large store’s inventory minus the middleman chaos. Sure, they don’t cover every area, but checking if any major chain around you offers delivery might save you the headache and make it more direct.
And hey, let’s not underestimate local grocery delivery startups. Depending on where you live, there might be local services that are pretty reliable. They aren’t big enough to land on everyone’s radar, but they often offer better customer service as their business relies on community goodwill. It could involve a bit of Googling or asking around on local social media groups, but it might be a hidden gem.
@techchizkid mentioned Boxed and how it’s great for bulk buying, but another bulk option I’d like to throw in is **Costco’s delivery service’, directly from their website or even through Instacart (if you can bear to use it for this). Pretty handy if you have a membership and don’t wanna deal with the crazy crowds in-store. It doesn’t help with fresh produce, tho.
Slightly disagreeing with Shipt here though. It seems to depend heavily on the shopper you get. Sometimes you get someone super attentive, but other times, it’s just as frustrating as Instacart, despite the reportedly better customer service.
For a completely outside-the-box suggestion, growth in urban areas is seeing the rise of robotic delivery services for groceries. Companies like Starship Technologies are starting to roll out robots in some cities. It’s super niche, but if you happen to be in a service area, it feels very Jetsons-like to get your groceries delivered by a cute little robot!
Honestly, no service is perfect. You might need to test a few out and figure out which one annoys you the least. Instacart may have dropped the ball for some people, but other options are out there to explore.