You know that feeling when you realize the fridge is barren but you can’t get to the store today and you wish you could hand your grocery list to someone who can do it for you?
Enter: Grocery delivery and pickup services. 🙌 Much like these apps + websites, we’ll cut to the chase and make things easy – here’s what you need to know (and what you told us):
Shipt
Delivers from Bi-Lo, Lidl, Publix, Target + Whole Foods (depending on zip code) | $14/month or $99/year ($8.25/month, 2 week free trial + $15 off your first purchase) | Free delivery over $35, $7 delivery fee for orders under $35 (but Shipt item prices will sometimes be higher than in-store) | No alcohol delivery
You said: “I use Shipt at least once a week! I have a two year old and an 8 month old and it saves time and my sanity!”
Tips: If you want to check out the selection first, make a free account on the Shipt app or website to browse – you won’t be able to purchase until you sign up for a membership. If you’re making a grocery order and don’t see something online, you can make a special request to your Shipt shopper (i.e. “Find ice cream that has brownies in it!”). Also, Shipt shoppers rely on tips for income.
Instacart
Delivers from Publix, Costco, Whole Foods, Petco + CVS (depending on zip code) | Non-member: $5.99-7.99/delivery + Member: $149/year + free delivery over $35 (offers 14 day free trial) | Orders must be $10+ | No alcohol delivery
You said: “It’s just so easy. The people have been very professional and courteous. They communicate with you when they shop… it’s just great!”
Tips: Instacart offers coupons within the app/website and free delivery with certain items on special (i.e. free delivery with a Kraft or Chobani purchase). You can leave notes for your shopper about things like produce ripeness + dietary restrictions.
While deliveries are managed by independent services, most stores have begun to offer their own curbside pickup. You order online, a store associate will grab your items, and you typically pull into a designated curbside parking spot.
These GVL stores offer grocery pickup:
Lowes Foods | 2815 Woodruff Rd, Simpsonville + 850 East Suber Road Suite 200, Greer | 9 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Fill your cart online and choose your store + pickup window. You can also leave notes for each item (like how ripe you like your bananas) and choose to allow substitutions if they’re out of something. $4.95 pickup fee.
Walmart | 1451 Woodruff Rd, 5009 Old Buncombe Rd, 9 Benton Rd (Travelers Rest), 1401 West Georgia Rd (Simpsonville) | 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. | You can download the Walmart Grocery mobile app or order online + reserve a pickup time, and an associate will bring your groceries out to your car. Free with a $30+ order.
- You said: “I do my list online in 10 minutes or less, don’t buy any bad items because I’m not staring them in the face, and I use the app to mark when I leave my apartment so they know when I arrive. Never waited more than a minute in my car & they load it into my trunk for me. 🙌”
Harris Teeter | 1720 Augusta St. | 6 a.m. – 12 a.m. | Our Harris Teeter doesn’t offer delivery yet, but you can use their ExpressLane service for pickup. They require a four hour lead time to pick your order, and orders must be placed before 3 p.m. for same-day service. $4.95 pickup fee (fee waived on first order). An ExpressLane subscription is $16.95/month or $99.95/year for unlimited pickup with no fees.
These stores don’t offer grocery curbside pickup, but you can still make certain orders to pick up at the store:
Target | Target’s new Drive Up curbside pickup service is available at the 1112 Woodruff Rd, 6025 Wade Hampton Blvd, and 694 Fairview Rd | Individual store hours | Download the Target app and check each item for Drive Up pickup availability (they’ll bring it out to your car at pickup). All of the grocery items we tried weren’t available on Drive Up, but things like clothes + school supplies are. Most items are available for pickup within 2 hours. You can also still get grocery delivery on Shipt.
Publix | Publix’s Curbside page re-directs to their Instacart page, so it seems like they’re favoring delivery. But you can still place online orders for pickup if they’re deli subs, wraps, sliced meats + cheeses, bakery cakes, and platters (online payment at select stores, choose your pickup time when you order). You can still order delivery on Shipt or Instacart.
Whole Foods | 1140 Woodruff Rd | 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. (regular store hours) | Doesn’t offer a full range of grocery pickup, but you can place online pickup orders for appetizer + party platters, boxed lunches + sandwiches, soups + salads, entrees, sides, desserts, and breakfast/brunch. You can still order delivery on Instacart.
Bi-Lo, Ingles, Aldi, Lidl, Trader Joe’s, Costco, Fresh Market + Sprouts Farmers Market don’t offer curbside pickup (specifically in our area or in general).
I kind of treasure my afternoons heading to the grocery store for a few fun things… but maybe that’s exactly why I should try grocery delivery. So many people who messaged us said ordering online helps them plan meals and make better decisions. If you give Shipt or Instacart (or grocery pickup) a try, let me know what you think at hello@gvltoday.com.
P.S. The grocery delivery service Postmates (which delivers almost anything – from restaurant fare, to pens from Staples, to toilet paper from CVS) just launched in Charleston. Crossing my fingers we can add Postmates to our list in GVL soon.
– Kendall
