Online grocery shopping services have arrived, and they’re here to save you time and money. With just a few clicks, you can have food delivered to your doorstep without ever leaving your home. In this article, we look at two online grocery services: Misfits Market and Instacart. What are these services, and how can you decide which you should use?
What is Instacart?
Instacart is an online grocery delivery service that allows you to have groceries delivered to your home or makes them available for pickup. You just choose a grocery store near you, then browse and select the items you want. With Instacart, you will see items and brands that you are familiar with from the store. You can also shop sales, pay with gift cards, or use EBT SNAP.
What is Misfits Market?
Misfits Market is an online grocery shopping platform where you can have fresh produce delivered to your home and select from various grocery items. At their online “Marketplace,” you can shop for organic fruits and veggies and other sustainably sourced grocery items like pantry staples, meats, and seafood for less than you would pay in stores. Membership is free, and groceries are delivered to your door with no commitments or strings attached.
Misfits Market rescues high-quality food products that would otherwise go to waste. That means helping prevent food waste and shopping sustainably while saving money. It’s a win-win for everyone, including our planet. New items are added to the Marketplace weekly. That means you can check things off your grocery list, save money, and discover something new.
What’s the difference?
Both Misfits Market and Instacart offer easy and convenient ways to shop online for your groceries and deliver them to your door. Not only are they both time savers, they also both allow you to save money. Through Misfits Market, you save up to 40% on fresh produce compared to regular grocery store prices. Instacart also allows you to save money by shopping for sales items. However, while some similarities exist between these two services, there are also a few key differences.
Company Mission and Operations
Misfits Market is “dedicated to making affordable, high-quality food more accessible while helping break the cycle of food waste.” The company sources products sustainably and rescues foods that suppliers would otherwise throw away to deliver them to consumers at a significantly reduced cost. Shoppers purchase sustainably sourced products at “The Marketplace,” which Misfits Market operates.
Instacart’s mission is a little different: simplifying grocery shopping and providing customers with quick access to food. Unlike Misfits Market, Instacart doesn’t have its own grocery store. Instead, it provides a platform for grocery stores to sell their products online. Instacart is run by individual contracted shoppers who function as their own boss, making money on their schedules. It operates locally to connect customers with personal shoppers at nearby grocery stores through an online platform.
Membership
Instacart does not require a membership – anyone can use their service at any time. All you have to pay is the delivery fee. However, Instacart offers a membership called Instacart Express that gives subscribers unlimited free deliveries over $35 for a flat fee each month.
Misfits Market does require a membership, but this membership is entirely free, and there is no commitment involved. The membership gives customers a three-day shopping window every week to build their order with available produce.
Grocery Options and Availability
Instacart and Misfits Market vary widely in their grocery options and availability.
Because Misfits Market offers seasonal produce and sustainably sourced groceries, browsing their marketplace during your shopping window allows you to see what products are available. They add new items every week, giving you more opportunities to save money and help reduce food waste. Misfits Market may offer more unique produce options than your local grocery store, and their blog will help inspire you with new recipe ideas to make use of your produce.
Instacart functions more like your regular grocery store. That means more of the options and brands you are familiar with. If your local grocery store carries office supplies, household items, prescriptions, candies, and snacks, you can order them online. As long as they are stocked on the shelves, your Instacart shopper can deliver them to your door. If items are out of stock, your shopper will text you and ask if you’d like to substitute the item.
Delivery Time
Instacart offers a variety of delivery time options. You can have groceries delivered to your doorstep as soon as possible, often within a couple of hours, or you can schedule deliveries for later in the day or later in the week.
Misfits Market delivers food to your doorstep within 2-3 days of your shopping window closing. This means that you can have produce delivered every week. You may need to plan ahead by a few days to accommodate the delivery time from The Marketplace to your home. While this might seem like an extended delivery time in comparison to Instacart, all things considered, this is very speedy. You’ll have your Misfits Market delivery in no time.
Which service is right for me?
If you are looking for an online replacement for your regular grocery shopping, Instacart is the way to go. It’s easy to use, and your groceries can be delivered to your door in just hours. Instacart allows you to do all of your regular grocery shopping from your nearby store online. It’s a very convenient way to get your grocery shopping done without taking as much time. The only additional cost of Instacart is its delivery fee, or paying for the Instacart Express membership.
However, if you are looking to save a lot of money on your groceries, Misfits Market is a great choice. Misfits Market offers a wide selection of organic produce and other sustainably sourced products for significantly less than in grocery stores. Those savings are worth the wait! Shopping with Misfits Market is also a great way to support environmentally sustainable practices and reduce food waste. It’s also a great way to explore unique foods and get inspiration for new recipes.
Concluding Thoughts
Still can’t decide which online grocery shopping platform to use? Decide to use both. Consider purchasing your produce from Misfits Market to save money and help break the cycle of food waste. You can even browse the Marketplace for unique produce and try something new in your kitchen. Then, use Instacart for the remainder of your grocery shopping and to purchase items you will need in the few days before your Misfits Market box arrives.
Online grocery shopping is a fantastic way to save time and money, which allows you to put your energy into other things you love. Misfits Market and Instacart are two great and versatile options for having your groceries delivered to your door. In just a few clicks, your weekly grocery shopping is done!
