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Instacart can be a good choice for online groceries as it allows shoppers to compare products and prices in multiple stores in one place. But that kind of broad choice means factors like delivery areas, service fees, and tipping policies can vary.
That means if you mostly buy from one retailer, or you just use online grocery shopping to have a few staples delivered each week or month, then another service may suit you better.
Why Consider Alternatives to Instacart?
Instacart can be convenient if you need groceries quickly and/or if you shop across several Portland retailers, but its on-demand model isn’t necessarily the best fit for every household.
Cost, for instance, can be a major consideration. Delivery fees can change based on different stores’ distance from your home as well as the order size and delivery window. Signing up for Instacart+ means you get free delivery on certain orders over $10, but the final price you pay may also factor in costs like service fees and tips.
Then there’s potential for delivery issues: You don’t normally need to be home when an Instacart shopper delivers your items, but according to Instacart’s Help Center, if you choose an “unattended delivery,” you must accept full responsibility for what happens after your order due to, say, theft or temperature-related damage. Shoppers can be asked to use insulated bags or coolers, but there’s no guarantee that groceries will be delivered in a container that can protect them after delivery.
Finally, Instacart does allow shoppers to save grocery lists and schedule orders for a later date, but it’s still primarily designed for adding items to a cart, selecting a delivery window, and placing an order each time you need something. This can be yet another task to add to the weekly routine of households that regularly order the same staples such as bread, eggs, and milk.
Top Tips for Having Groceries Delivered
If you’re considering alternatives to Instacart, you’ll need to think about more than the headline delivery fee. Other important points to cover include:
Confirm your address is covered
Many major delivery sites allow you to enter your zip code directly to check whether your address falls within their delivery areas. The site may also list them for you.
For example, Smith Brothers, a milk and grocery delivery service in the Pacific Northwest, has a delivery area specifically within the Puget Sound (King, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston, and Kitsap Counties) and Greater Portland neighborhoods (Clark, Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties).
Calculate the whole cost
Check the fine print on the site for minimum purchase amounts or small-order charges. You should also look out for service fees, additional charges for express delivery, and how the platform manages tipping. This is especially important if a website advertises free delivery, as you can still be charged other fees.
Check supported payment methods before you buy
While Instacart accepts major payment cards and digital payment services like Venmo and Paypal, not every payment method is supported by every provider. In particular, if you plan to pay using SNAP/EBT, digital wallets, or gift cards, check with your chosen platform before going through the checkout process.
Check for the cutoff time
This works differently depending on the store you use. For instance, Walmart displays the cutoff time in your purchase history. Generally, you can make changes like adding or removing items, managing substitutions, and rescheduling the delivery before you reach this deadline.
Other stores may be more flexible, such as allowing you to add items right up until your shopper starts trying to fulfil your list. Or, they may say all orders are final once submitted. Check that store’s specific terms before ordering to avoid any surprises.
Understand how tracking works
While most modern online stores offer some form of order tracking, you should always do some research before buying to find out exactly how this works. For example, Instacart’s website recommends using its iOS or Android app to check delivery statuses and explains that when your personal shopper starts working on your order, you’ll see an in-app notification. There’s also a chat link to talk to them. This feature may be important if you’re having perishables delivered and need to give specific instructions and/or be there when your order arrives.
Inspect the order promptly
Before adding any items to an online cart, check the online store’s policy for missing, incomplete, or otherwise unsatisfactory orders. In particular, verify the process used: Some stores may allow you to report issues within the app, while others may say you need to file a claim via the website or directly with customer service.
Choosing the Right Grocery Delivery Service
The best option for you comes down to your preferences and how you shop. Factors you should consider can include delivery areas, minimum spends, fees, payment methods, and order cutoffs.
The services we explore below range from flexible same-day delivery and retailer-based ordering to scheduled weekly grocery deliveries. This means you can compare them based on the products you need as well as the delivery schedule you want.
Target
This is a practical choice if you need other items alongside groceries, such as diapers, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and other household goods.
Target stores in Portland generally offer same-day delivery via Shipt, free order pickups, and Drive Up (where you park in a designated area at the store and an employee brings your purchase to your car).
Options
Target Circle 360 includes unlimited same-day delivery on eligible orders over $35. It costs $10.99 per month or $99 per year, with a $49 annual rate for Target Circle Card holders.
How to Order
You can place orders via Target’s main website or the mobile app. Usually, when you complete checkout, you can arrange delivery within a few hours. A Shipt shopper selects the items and can chat to you about replacements when necessary.
Costs
As outlined above, Target members don’t have to pay delivery charges on qualifying orders over $35. Without a Target membership, same-day delivery costs $9.99 per eligible order. Target Circle 360 members can also get same-day delivery from select retailers with no markups.
Restrictions
- Certain items are excluded from same-day delivery including select electronics, clothing, and goods that weigh more than 40 pounds.
- Customers can generally edit or cancel orders up to one hour before the selected delivery window.
- Certain items are only available for typical shipping instead of same-day delivery.
- Target’s grocery selection also tends to be narrower than a full, traditional supermarket.
Smith Brothers
Smith Brothers, mentioned earlier, takes a different approach to the other gig-shopper services listed here: Its customers can receive milk, eggs, produce, pantry goods, and Pacific Northwest favorites on a fixed delivery schedule. Your neighborhood will have its own designated delivery day, so you always know when to expect your order.
This model means Smith Brothers is the best alternative to Instacart in this guide for people in the Portland area who want to keep essentials stocked without having to order them manually. It’s a particularly good choice for families who regularly run out of staples, as it can reduce the need to place urgent same-day orders for repeat items.
Options
Smith Brothers doesn’t require a membership or ongoing subscription. If you select certain products, then you can choose for an order to repeat weekly or every other week, order once, skip up to eight weeks ahead, or cancel.
How to Order
Use the main site to check your zip code. If you’re within one of the Puget Sound/Portland delivery areas, you can then create an account and manage orders through the website or mobile app. Orders normally arrive on the same neighborhood delivery day each week at around the same time. Smith Brothers also uses insulated porch boxes for deliveries, so there’s less risk of temperature damage for customers who can’t take their order inside immediately. Delivery notifications are available via app or text.
Costs
Delivery is free for orders over $20. Smaller orders have a delivery fee of $4.99. There are no service fees, tips, or surge pricing.
Restrictions
- Service is limited to covered neighborhoods in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, and Clark counties.
- You can only make changes to orders up until 2 p.m. on the day before a delivery.
- Smith Brothers is route based, so they don’t offer same-day delivery.
- It has a curated catalog of more than 600 products, but the focus is mainly on staples, not offering every household item in the same way as online stores like Target.
Walmart
This is a household name, likely because it’s a solid option for large, budget-conscious orders that need to cover both groceries and household goods.
Walmart no longer has any physical stores in Portland, with the final two closing in 2023, but surrounding stores in the area can still deliver. During our research for this guide, we couldn’t find an online tool to check if your zip code falls within Walmart’s delivery area. However, you can check by trying to place an order via the website or the app and checking if delivery is listed as an option for your address.
Options
Shoppers can choose curbside pickup, standard store delivery, or faster delivery where offered. Walmart+, which includes free scheduled delivery on qualifying orders of at least $35, costs $12.95 per month or $98 per year.
How to Order
Walmart orders can be placed via the main site or the mobile app. As we outlined earlier, you can add an address, then choose either pickup or delivery for your order, depending on what’s available. Express delivery normally arrives within two hours. You can also arrange a custom delivery time for eligible products. Generally, a Walmart employee will prepare store orders, and a local third-party driver will deliver them to you. You can also do curbside pickup if that’s preferable.
Costs
Standard store delivery is $9.95 for Walmart nonmembers. Pickups costing more than $35 are free, and Walmart+ removes the standard delivery fee on qualifying $35-plus orders. Smaller orders and faster services may carry additional charges. For instance, the express delivery charge is $10 regardless of if you’re a Walmart+ member. Certain items like tires don’t count toward the $35 minimum and may have separate delivery fees.
Restrictions
- Delivery is subject to local store capacity.
- There are no Walmart locations in Portland itself.
- Changes are allowed until the cutoff in your Purchase History, including adding items, changing quantities, and adjusting substitutions, but there’s no universal rule for this: It depends on the specific store and the time slot you’ve chosen.
Whole Foods
Amazon bought Whole Foods in 2017, which makes it a good choice for people who are already paying for a Prime membership who want access to its organic, natural, and specialty selection. Whole Foods locations in Portland offer pickup and delivery through Amazon.
Options
Prime members can schedule delivery or free pickup in eligible zip codes. Amazon also offers Prime members an unlimited grocery subscription for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year, covering delivery fees on qualifying Whole Foods orders, but these must come to at least $25.
How to Order
Whole Foods still has its own website, but shoppers need to visit Amazon.com/WholeFoods or the Whole Foods section in the Amazon app to place orders. Whatever method you choose, you can select the delivery window (typically one or two hours), and in-store and curbside pickup is also available.
Costs
Amazon’s aforementioned grocery delivery subscription is $9.99/month or $99.99/year. Prime members who subscribe to this can get unlimited Whole Foods grocery deliveries with no delivery fees on orders of $25 or more. Otherwise, Whole Foods delivery orders include a $9.95 service fee, with possible surcharges for rush deliveries.
Free pickup is also available at certain stores, but this can be subject to local order thresholds and availability. Check the fees and available pickup or delivery options at checkout before placing your order.
Restrictions
- Generally, customers need to be Amazon Prime members for Whole Foods grocery pickup and delivery.
- Availability is zip code dependent, and some deliveries can’t be made unattended. For example, orders containing alcohol require delivery in person with ID verification.
Finding the Right Alternative for Your Household
The best grocery delivery service will be the one that matches your shopping habits.
Instacart and other retailer-based services like Target, Walmart, and Whole Foods can be helpful when you need same-day convenience, a broad selection of items, or a mix of groceries and household essentials. Before you order, make sure to compare delivery areas, associated costs, and order policies.
For Portland-area households who need staples to be delivered on a recurring basis without having to place a new order every week Smith Brothers offers fixed neighborhood routes, recurring orders, local products, and insulated porch boxes. That makes it a practical choice for making sure you always have essentials on hand, while also allowing you to add items, skip deliveries, or cancel orders when your plans change.
