One thing that we can all agree on is that life is crazy busy. Wouldn’t it be nice if you can just download an app, pick out your groceries, and get them delivered right to your door the same day?
I’ve got great news for you, it’s possible.
Only a quarter of consumers have tried an online grocery service in the past year, according to a new survey of more than 8,000 U.S. grocery shoppers completed by consulting group Bain & Co. in collaboration with Google.
If you aren’t using grocery delivery services like Amazon Fresh or Shipt, then you may be missing out on the convenience these services bring.
In this article, we will review two grocery delivery titans: Shipt vs Amazon Fresh.
What is Shipt?
Shipt is an American delivery service owned by Target Corporation. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. In December 2017 it was announced that Target Corporation was acquiring Shipt for $550 million and that it would operate as an independent subsidiary following the acquisition. It is best for those shoppers who love Target.
Shipt costs
- Shipt offers a monthly membership for $10.99 or a $99 yearly membership. However, they offer a 7-day free trial to try out the service.
- $7 delivery fee for orders under $35 with a Shipt membership.
- $10 per order with a one-time delivery with no order minimum and membership required.
Shipt pros
- Delivery times are super fast as quick as one hour from the time you order.
- You can order groceries from your favorite grocery stores like Kroger, Harris Teeter, H-E-B, and Meijer while Amazon Fresh is only from Whole Foods.
- Shipt has shoppers in 250+ markets and 5,000 cities. Shipt is in more cities than Amazon Fresh which is only in 42 cities.
Shipt cons
- A drawback of using Shipt is encountering unavailable items that require communication between your shopper to find a suitable substitution. Compared to Amazon Fresh’s inventory being updated in real-time and with no need for substitutions, this is a huge drawback.
- Another issue is items in the app may be priced higher than quoted within the app. You have to pay the difference.
- To cancel your membership, you have to contact them via e-mail, phone, or live chat. There is no automatic cancellation option in your account settings. If you opt for the 7-day free trial and wanted to cancel before getting charged, these extra steps required can be tiresome.
- Convenience: Place an order from your phone or laptop, track its progress online, receive updates and get your delivery without having to leave home.
- Same-Day Delivery: You can get your groceries delivered as soon as one hour after you place your order.
- Variety: Depending on your area, you can shop from a big selection of stores.
What is Amazon Fresh
AmazonFresh customers in select cities can shop for groceries, everyday essentials, favorites from local shops and restaurants, and more with AmazonFresh. AmazonFresh offers Attended Delivery and Unattended Delivery, with Pickup options in select cities. You can check to see if Amazon Fresh is available in your area here.
Amazon Fresh costs
- Amazon Fresh is now FREE with your Prime membership. There is no longer an additional membership fee to get groceries delivered to your doorstep. It’s now another benefit that comes with your Prime membership.
- Starting Feb. 28, 2023, Amazon Fresh delivery orders under $150 will incur a service fee. Prime members will continue to receive free grocery delivery on orders more than $150. Delivery charges will be $3.95 for orders $100-$150, $6.95 for orders $50-$100, and $9.95 for orders under $50.
Amazon Fresh pros
- If you are already an Amazon Prime member, you have access to Amazon Fresh. You do not have to pay for an extra membership to get groceries delivered.
- The interface and buying groceries is more seamless on Amazon’s site.
- Delivery times are super fast as quick as two hours from the time you order.
- You can order essentially everything you can get from your local Whole Foods from Amazon Fresh.
- You almost never encounter unavailable items when using Amazon Fresh. Shipt may require you to substitute items in the event of unavailable items which can cause delays.
- Packaged foods like chips or snacks are 10% to 30% cheaper than Shipt prices.
- Amazon Fresh prices in most areas are on par with nationwide grocery prices. However, some items (such as meats and dairy) typically are higher priced and can lead to a more expensive bill compared to in-store grocery shopping. However, prices are generally lower than Shipt.
Amazon Fresh cons
- The minimum order to avoid a delivery fee is $35 per order.
- You may not be in a city that Amazon Fresh currently delivers to. Amazon Fresh delivers to shoppers in Boston, Baltimore, Seattle, Stamford, Philadelphia, Dallas, Chicago, New York Metro, Northern Virginia, London and parts of California and New Jersey.
- You can’t use digital or paper coupons with your order.
- Convenience: You can place your order from any device, track its progress online and get your groceries without leaving your home.
- Same-Day Delivery: Amazon Fresh offers same-day and advanced scheduling for delivery. If you want same-day delivery, make sure that you order early. Otherwise, the time slot you want could be full, and you’ll have to wait.
- Organic Options: Because Amazon owns Whole Foods, the organic selection was pretty big. Organics included produce and packaged foods of all kinds.
Amazon Fresh vs Shipt: Availability
Your choice in the Amazon Fresh vs Shipt battle can easily be decided if one of them doesn’t service your zip code.
Shipt services over 260 cities according to their cities page.
Amazon Fresh services shoppers in shoppers in Boston, Baltimore, Seattle, Stamford, Philadelphia, Dallas, Chicago, New York Metro, Northern Virginia, London and parts of California and New Jersey. However, Amazon Fresh has shut down in cities it used to operate in. The only way to know if Amazon Fresh is available in your city is to check the website.
Winner for Availability: Shipt
Shipt vs Amazon Fresh: Grocery Stores
Now, who wants to use a grocery delivery service that doesn’t partner up with your favorite retailers like Costco, Kroger, or Target?
Shipt takes the cake by working with stores like Costco, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Kroger, Meijer, Whole Foods, H-E-B, Safeway, and Target.
Amazon Fresh only works with Whole Foods, but you can select from discounted Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday items to help on savings.
Winner for Grocery Stores: Shipt
Shipt vs Amazon Fresh: Deals
Buying groceries can get expensive so you want a grocery delivery service that offers money-saving deals.
Both Shipt and Amazon Fresh offer occasional promotional codes to use to save money on your order, which you can receive via email or through their social media pages.
In terms of membership and delivery fees, Shipt offers a monthly membership for $14 or a $99 yearly membership.
Amazon Fresh is now FREE with your Prime membership. There is no longer an additional membership fee to get groceries delivered to your doorstep. It’s now another benefit that comes with your Prime membership. The membership fee for Amazon Prime is $119 per year or $12.99 per month. The first 30 days of the annual subscription are free, and you can cancel anytime. Students can get a generous price break, however. Amazon Student accounts get many of the same Prime benefits, and it’s free for the first six months.
Winner for Deals: Shipt
Shipt vs Amazon Fresh: Customer Service
You will find that if you use any food delivery service sometimes an item will be out of stock or you will need to reach customer service to file a remedy for an issue.
Having responsive and helpful customer service is always important.
Shipt offers all the same customer service options as major companies such as a help line (1-205-502-2500), email support ([email protected]), in-app support, and live chat on their support page.
Amazon Fresh offers live customer support and the messaging assistant can quickly solve many issues or direct you to the right person or place. You can also submit a few details about your issue and then someone will call you right away. Amazon is known for putting the customer first and is very lenient with refunds and credits.
We found that Shipt is very slow to respond to inquiries over its email and live chat support service. Often times going 3 to 4 business days without a response to our email inquiries, so Amazon Fresh is the clear winner here.
Winner for Customer Support: Amazon Fresh
Which is Better?
The main difference between Shipt and Amazon Fresh is: Having used both grocery delivery services, Shipt wins due to it’s availability, deals, and grocery store partnerships. Amazon Fresh may have a better interface, but if it’s not available in your city, you can’t go wrong with Shipt.
If Shipt isn’t available in your city then Amazon Fresh is also a great option or you can check other grocery delivery options.
While both of these companies get groceries delivered to your door, Shipt has a slight edge as the pricing and fees are better, and you don’t have to be an Amazon Prime member to use the service.
Shipt vs Amazon Fresh FAQs
Shipt is a grocery delivery service that partners with local stores to deliver groceries to customers. Amazon Fresh is a grocery delivery service offered by Amazon that allows customers to shop for groceries online and have them delivered to their door.
Amazon Fresh generally has a wider selection of products, including a larger variety of grocery items and household essentials. However, Shipt partners with local stores, so the selection may vary depending on the store.
Both Shipt and Amazon Fresh offer same-day delivery, but delivery times may vary depending on your location and availability of delivery slots.
Both Shipt and Amazon Fresh have membership options that offer free delivery on orders over a certain amount. However, Amazon Fresh is generally more expensive than Shipt.
Both Shipt and Amazon Fresh are convenient options for grocery delivery. However, Shipt’s partnership with local stores may make it more convenient for some customers as they can shop from their favorite store.
Both Shipt and Amazon Fresh accept returns for items that are defective or damaged. However, they have different policies for returning other items, so it is best to check their website for more information.
Want more grocery delivery reviews? Check out the following review articles:
How about you? Have you used either company? Who is your winner in the Shipt vs Amazon Fresh showdown?
