Mike's NBC-TV stories

Grocery Delivery Apps

With social distancing guidelines in place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, getting groceries can be challenging.

As PC Mike Wendland reminds us, a number of apps can help you get groceries delivered right to your door.

Instacart uses personal shoppers to pick up items for you from local stores. That includes the ability to order from Costco and Sam’s Club without a membership (though you will pay more than members would in the store). In some areas you can even order from liquor stores, pet stores, and pharmacies. If you pay extra you can even free two-hour delivery on orders over $35. The app is free for iOS and Android.

Shipt is similar to Instacart but requires users sign up for a membership that comes with free shipping on orders over $35 (for smaller orders, the fee is $7). Like Instacart, you get a personal shopper who will pick up the items on your list from various local stores, including Kroger, Target and CVS. Alcohol delivery is an option in some areas and you can get your items as quickly as within the hour. The app itself is free for iOS and Android.

The Walmart app lets you order groceries for same-day pickup and or be delivered to you. Order everything from groceries to home goods to electronics to beauty products to clothing — anything Walmart sells, really. The delivery fee starts at $7.95. The app is free for iOS and Android.

Mike is a veteran journalist whose video "PC Mike" reports have been distributed weekly to all 215 NBC-TV stations since 1994, making him one of the most experienced tech reporters in the country. His tech stories and videos have appeared on MSNBC, CNBC, the Today Show, The New York Times, USA Today and in numerous national newspapers and magazines. In addition to the PC Mike tech blog, he also publishes the Roadtreking.com RV Travel Blog in which he travels North America in an RV reporting about interesting people and places.