Grocery delivery has become a necessity rather than a luxury in the times of COVID-19. While many businesses have had to close down for the lockdown period, grocery stores remain open as essential businesses. With people practicing social distancing and quarantining during a lockdown in various countries, grocery delivery apps have become a life savior for people. These apps are not only great for people maintaining social distance but are also of great help for people who are sick and in isolation.
Amongst the best grocery delivery apps in the US are Instacart, AmazonFresh, and Walmart Grocery apps. These apps are delivering vegetables, fruits, meat, seafood, and other pantry items at the customers’ doorstep. Some grocery delivery apps offer free delivery for members, while some require a minimum order. Moreover, most of these grocery delivery apps are also opting for no-contact deliveries to avoid the spread of coronavirus. These apps usually deliver groceries within the same day, however, due to the increased demand during the pandemic, these grocery delivery apps are experiencing delays.
There are grocery delivery App Development Melbourne companies which will help you to develop such apps. Grocery delivery apps are doing great work delivering the necessities and convenience to people. So, let’s have a look at the comparison between Instacart vs AmazonFresh vs Walmart Grocery apps.
Instacart
Instacart is available in 40 states in the US and delivers groceries, alcohol from local stores, and non-perishable items. Unlike AmazonFresh, Instacart does not require a membership to order groceries but charges a delivery fee that starts at $3.99 for a minimum order of $10. The delivery increases during the peak hour for customers who have not purchased a subscription. Instacart also offers free delivery for customers who purchase the Instacart Express subscription of $99 per year or $9.99 per month have a minimum order of $35. The app delivers the order within 2 hours, however, due to the pandemic the delivery is taking longer than usual.
Instacart hires personal shoppers who pick up the items from local stores including Costco and Sam’s Club. In some areas, Instacart enables customers to order from pharmacies, liquor stores, and pet stores as well. In case of unavailability of an item, the personal shoppers can contact the customer to ask if they need a substitute. Customers can track their orders in real-time through the app.
Instacart is a competition for AmazonFresh as it sources its deliveries from local stores and supermarkets while AmazonFresh is a digital grocery store. The pricing of items available on Instacart is set by grocery stores therefore they might differ and sometimes be inflated.
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AmazonFresh
AmazonFresh is available in over 2,000 cities and delivers groceries, whole foods, and non-perishable items for Amazon Prime members. It initially required a subscription of $119 per year but is not free for Amazon Prime members. The grocery delivery app delivers groceries within 2 hours without charging a delivery fee, however, the minimum order should be $35.
AmazonFresh has gained popularity within a short period of time due to its brand image. Essentially a digital grocery store, it offers items such as packaged foods, seafood, dairy, meat, Whole Foods 365 products, household items, and fresh produce.
The app provides a great UI for customers which is similar to the Amazon app for an easy shopping experience. AmazonFresh provides free 2-hour delivery and charges a delivery fee in some areas for delivery within 1 hour. It also provides an option to schedule grocery delivery in advance. Additionally, it also provides a free pickup in some cities and exciting coupons and deals for its members.
Walmart Grocery
Walmart Grocery is available in 1,600 cities in the US and delivers groceries, Walmart products, and non-perishable items. Unlike AmazonFresh, Walmart Grocery doesn’t require a membership to make an order but charges a delivery fee between $7.95 to $9.95. If the customer has purchased a subscription of $98 per year or $12.95 per month, the delivery is made free.
Walmart Grocery delivers the order between 24 hours to 7 days. While the delivery was available only in a few areas, Walmart Grocery offered a pickup service for areas where a Walmart Grocery store is located. However, now it delivers orders for all customers on the same day. The app requires a minimum spend of $30 to order items.
The app enables customers to buy anything that Walmart sells from home goods to beauty products, clothing, electronics, etc. The customers can get everything delivered from the Walmart store by selecting a delivery date up to a week in advance.
Instacart vs AmazonFresh vs Walmart Grocery Comparison
| Aspects | Instacart | AmazonFresh | Walmart Grocery |
| Prices | Prices are high as they are set by stores | Cheaper than Instacart | Low Walmart prices |
| Pricing set by | Individual stores | AmazonFresh | Walmart store |
| Delivery Fee Without Subscription | Starting at $3.99 | Free | $7.95 – $9.95 |
| Delivery Time | 2 hours to 6 days | 1-2 hours | Same day to one week |
| Advance scheduling of order | 6 days in advance | No | 7 days in advance |
| Products Delivered | Groceries, non-perishables, and alcohol | Groceries, non-perishables including Whole Foods | Groceries, non-perishables, and all other Walmart products |
| Membership Required To Order | No | Yes | No |
Conclusion
The above three grocery delivery apps are the leading apps in the US. However, choosing the best delivery option for yourself will depend on factors such as your city, whether you have a membership or subscription, how fast you need the delivery, and what kind of products you need.
The above comparison factors will influence your decision to choose one of these grocery apps to order groceries. Many other grocery delivery apps are coming up to cater to the increasing needs and demands of customers during COVID-19. While these apps usually deliver groceries within a few hours, these apps are now facing delivery delays which requires patience at the customers’ end.
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