I would like to explore options other than Amazon for grocery delivery. Has anyone used FreshDirect, Peapod, ShopRite, etc.? Are there other local vendors that are preferred?

How has your experience been? Do you have issues with freshness, quality or delivery timing? Any horror stories?

My apologies if this is being discussed elsewhere, nothing recent came up in my search.

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jersey385 t1_j46iwu3 wrote on January 13, 2023 at 2:47 PM

Been using Fresh Direct for 15 years. No complaints.

Jersey-City-2468 t1_j46lmpe wrote on January 13, 2023 at 3:05 PM

Fresh Direct is good. Reliable. And they insist on carrying them up my third floor walk up, bonus! A little pricier than doing the shopping yourself, but still cheaper than delivery/takeout.

Amazon fresh is fine too, but I hate the shopping user experience. Fresh Direct has a much better shopping site

possums101 t1_j46iznt wrote on January 13, 2023 at 2:47 PM

I’ve never had a problem with ShopRite but it might be more helpful to you to ask people in your area since it’s a localized thing.

PivotingGem t1_j47wzda wrote on January 13, 2023 at 7:58 PM

Fresh direct is reliable but they often don’t pick the greatest produce unfortunately. Whereas Amazon picks good stuff but as of late orders are getting canceled frequently which is annoying….

gigiwasabi_jc t1_j49g5oc wrote on January 14, 2023 at 2:15 AM

Fresh Direct is definitely more expensive than shopping IRL but I’ve never used another online delivery service so I can’t compare apples to apples (lol). But they have great customer service, decent selection. I think the produce is fine. On rare occasion something is spoiled or damaged, you can get a refund easily. (I’ve also heard they treat their employees well but can’t confirm firsthand.)

yesiam_samiam t1_j49vp81 wrote on January 14, 2023 at 4:23 AM

Hiya! Personal chef here and I’ve used instacart for not only my personal groceries but also for my clients.

They do have higher fees but the experience is great. In my over 2 years using them, I have only had 1 order get canceled by a driver, every other single order was delivered with little to no incident. They also have the widest selection of stores and items available. You can save on fees by getting instacart+ which does work out math and saving wise if you are doing an order a week!

Only major complaint I would have is if you get one of the few and far between poor shoppers that are disorganized and wrong items can end up in your bag but again this doesn’t happen that often

Wynnrose t1_j49w7zw wrote on January 14, 2023 at 4:28 AM

Just curious - why do you want to switch away from Amazon? I think their Whole Foods delivery is top notch. The few times I’ve had issues their customer service has been very way to work with

BrahmanIsBrahman OP t1_j49y9e8 wrote on January 14, 2023 at 4:47 AM

I don't necessarily want to switch, just to see what else is out there. Thanks to all for the replies!

kevstev t1_j475wdt wrote on January 13, 2023 at 5:13 PM

I have done Walmart a few times, I had no issues. Produce is good, some of the substitutions were not great- I wanted thighs, I guess they were out, so they gave me drumsticks.

The prices are equivalent to shoprite, and cheaper if you are willing to do their store brand, but the meat selection is inferior.

a_bigsalad t1_j4bloij wrote on January 14, 2023 at 3:36 PM

Fresh Direct is the most reliable, their prepared food is hit or miss if that’s something you get from Amazon/WF delivery. They have decent sales but I subscribe to Butcher Box for meat/seafood and get a delivery every other month.

International_Pin262 t1_j49ugfy wrote on January 14, 2023 at 4:12 AM

I instacart almost all of my groceries and have very little problems. There are delivery and tip fees, but I did the math out and because I can go to a cheaper store with instacart than i can if I had to go myself (when I'm limited to walking/public transit distance) the prices are about the same in total

Particular-Seesaw-56 t1_j4ayxtu wrote on January 14, 2023 at 12:22 PM

Been using Shipt since the pandemic. Life changing

Particular-Seesaw-56 t1_j4az266 wrote on January 14, 2023 at 12:24 PM

$99 for the year and can use it for acme, target, CVS, etc

suh_dude1111 t1_j4b9wnm wrote on January 14, 2023 at 2:08 PM

I like instacart, they even deliver from wegmans which is amazing

iheartunibrows t1_j4j68rq wrote on January 16, 2023 at 2:15 AM

I’ve used ShopRite and Acme because I got free delivery. Both were really good except now they charge you for the reusable bags. They message you when they need to make a replacement and will always replace with a higher valued item. Everything that came was accurate and fresh (they picked good fruit and veggies).

Delicious_Adeptness9 t1_j4owmct wrote on January 17, 2023 at 5:47 AM

Hoboken Shop Rite for delivery. FME they tend to have better stock than Metro Plaza when I've ordered delivery or pickup. Metro Plaza will be like "sorry, we don't have this" and not offer a substitute while Hoboken seems more conscientious.

Delivery fee is like $13 so make to wait until you need a big haul to make it worth it.

datatadata t1_j47ccal wrote on January 13, 2023 at 5:52 PM

Fresh direct is a good option. Used to use FD a lot before switching to Amazon fresh/whole food. Both are solid.

Laterdays82 t1_j47dwsy wrote on January 13, 2023 at 6:01 PM

I've tried Amazon Fresh, While Foods, and Instacart. Amazon Fresh is the least expensive but has fewer options and quality issues. Whole Foods tends to be the freshest. Instacart has most options but highest fees.