Too busy to go grocery shopping, or just plain hate it?
You’re not alone. But there are other options: Eat out every meal, live off of freeze-dried emergency food packets, or, drum roll please, have your groceries delivered. With the rise of grocery delivery services, prices have to be competitive with local grocery stores, and other delivery services. The following Twin Cities (and beyond) grocery delivery services will save you some time – driving, parking, shopping, checkout time – and might save you a little cash as well.
Instacart
Areas served: Minneapolis, West Metro, Southeast Metro, Maple Grove, Blaine-New Brighton, St. Paul
Instacart is a delivery service that picks up items you purchase online from local stores and delivers them straight to you. Offering more than just groceries, you’ll be able to get all of your weekly shopping needs done and delivered. For example, in zip code 55405, stores include: Cub, Whole Foods, Target, Costco (and you don’t even have to have a membership), CVS, Petco, Liquor Boy, Good Grocer, Sur La Table and 2 co-ops (Lakewinds & Wedge).
What’s even better, these retailers offer promos and coupons to save you some money with a simple click instead of search and clipping paper coupons and hoping they apply at the store during checkout. Most in-store sales are also available through instacart, so you know you’re getting at least a competitive price and maybe even a great deal.
Special offers as of August 2017:
- Free Delivery on your first order
- Send your friends $10 and get $10 when they order (up to 5)
- Sign up for Instacart Express for $149/year and receive free delivery and no ‘busy pricing’ on all orders over $35
Lunds & Byerlys
Areas served: Enter your zip code to find your area: shop.lundsandbyerlys.com
Love Lunds & Byerlys exclusive products, the delicious-looking pastries behind the glass at the bakery and the giant selection of specialty cheeses? Well they’ve got you covered with their own online shopping and home delivery service. Best of all, they offer the same sale prices online as they do in-store and shopping online is super easy. Once you enter your zip code, you’ll be able to shop online and reserve a time slot for delivery to make sure you’ll be home to accept your order, get the cold stuff in the fridge or freezer, and show your ID if you’ve ordered from the Wine & Spirit shop.
Tips for getting the best deals:
- Make sure you order and schedule delivery in the same week (Wednesday to Wednesday) to ensure you receive advertised sale prices (From website: “If an item is not on sale when you order, but is on sale on delivery day, you pay the sale price.”)
- If an item is on BOGO (buy one, get one free) make sure to add 2 to your cart
- Give manufacturer coupons to your driver and they’ll credit your account (From website: “Please put your coupons in a clearly marked envelope with your order reference number and your first and last name.”)
- Sign up for email and texts to receive the latest promotions and exclusive offers for their subscribers
Hy-vee
Areas served: Sign up for an account to get delivery to your location: hy-vee.com/grocery
We welcomed Hy-vee to the Twin Cities not so long ago, and with that came another option for grocery delivery. Online ordering is easy with shopping from their website to viewing the digital ad and shopping for products on sale directly from there. What’s even more convenient is that they deliver prescription drugs. Make sure to sign up for Fuel Saver + Perks® card so you can rack up money to spend on gas when you buy specific products or reach a minimum spend during special promotions.
Delivery Fees:
- FREE with order over $100
- $4.95 for orders under $100
Coborn’s
Areas served: Twin Cities Area & St. Cloud Area
Ever notice those bright yellow trucks with colorful fruits and veggies riding down the streets? Those are Coborn’s grocery delivery trucks bringing groceries to those lucky neighbors that have discovered the convenience of coming home to totes of groceries ready for the pantry. Coborn’s is everything you love about a grocery store, complete with all of the departments, including pharmacy and weekly ads, all shoppable online from the comfort of your couch. All that’s missing, is someone to come in and put everything away where it belongs, but hey, in due time.
Tips for getting the best deals:
- Next-day delivery orders of $50 = $5 fee
- Next-day delivery order $49.99 or less = $9.95 fee
- Same-day delivery orders of $50 = $9.95 fee
- Same-day delivery orders less than $49.99 = $14.90 fee
Schwan’s
Areas served: Enter your zip code to find out if your area is included: schwans.com
Grocery delivery and family-ready, easy-to-cook meals are right at your doorstep with Schwan’s. They’ll save you time by delivering groceries and time preparing meals with their single-serve meals and family meals that are quick and easy to prepare. Don’t forget the ice cream!
Current offers as of August 2017:
- Free delivery on orders over $49.99
- 30% off first purchase (max savings of $30) + Save $20 on next 2 orders with code: THIRTY (exp 10/31/17, but check back for additional promos)
Amazon Fresh
Currently, Amazon Prime members in the Twin Cities can order from Prime Now for some grocery items. It’s very limited, but delivery and ordering is as easy as shopping the Amazon App. With future plans to expand Amazon Fresh to Minneapolis / St. Paul, we’ll have yet another contender in the grocery delivery line-up.
Read this next: Top 6 global grocery/restaurants
