12 Online Grocery Stores You Probably Don’t Know About Yet (but Should)
While many of us had never placed an online grocery order before March 2020, the global pandemic was, unfortunately, all it took to learn how to do so — and fast. As demand for online grocery services skyrocketed in the early days, open delivery time slots plummeted. Supply did not initially meet demand, and people panicked (to say the least).
But if we’ve learned anything over the course of the past year, it’s how to diversify where we buy our food from and how to online grocery shop like pros. More than a full year later, we’ve uncovered a whole slew of new (or new-to-us) online platforms that deliver groceries right to your door. To be clear, these are not the same sites everyone is using (you know the ones!). Some of these options launched as recently as this past month!
Here are 12 online grocers you might not know about yet, but should.
1. Hive
Hive makes it extremely easy to put your grocery dollars towards a good cause. The site is curated with tons of small, sustainable grocery brands that aim to do better. Choose from a huge selection of pantry items, snacks, beverages, personal care items, and household cleaning supplies from brands you probably already know and love. (Think: Burlap & Barrel, DONA, A Dozen Cousins, Wild Planet, and more.) You can also narrow down and shop for items based on which cause they support, including “Community & Economic Development,” “Education, “Environment,” and so on. There are no fees or memberships needed to shop.
More info: Hive
2. Umamicart
Umamicart (which just launched March 1!), was founded by CEO Andrea Xu to make it more convenient to shop for Asian groceries online. The platform features more than 500 items including fresh produce, meats, pantry items, sauces, and condiments, all expertly curated from Asian American, immigrant-led, and mom-and-pop businesses. To start, the company is delivering to a select few states in the northeast, but plans to expand to other zip codes quickly. No membership is required.
More info: Umamicart
3. Bubble Goods
Each product sold on Bubble Goods must first pass a rigorous approval process involving an ingredient analysis, taste test, and thorough background check. Items offered include a slew of pantry ingredients, snacks, baked goods, beverages, vitamins, supplements, home and body, and even pet products. Some standouts? Moonshot Climate Friendly Crackers, Humble Nut Butter, Just Date Syrup, and more. Bubble currently ships nationwide and there is no membership necessary to join — just click and shop.
More info: Bubble Goods
4. Public Goods
Public Goods is a membership-based service that delivers sustainable, ethically sourced everyday essentials to your door. The membership ($59 a year) grants customers access to direct-to-consumer prices on grocery items including breakfast items, beverages, pantry staples, baking ingredients, canned goods, spices, condiments, and snacks — plus free shipping on all orders $45 and up. Check out the full selection here (the brand offers lots of stuff beyond groceries, too!).
More info: Public Goods
5. Yümmy Bazaar
Yümmy Bazaar aims to help its customers “discover the world through food.” The platform offers high-quality pantry staples, baking ingredients, snacks, sweets, and other shelf-stable goods hailing from all around the world. Shipping is free within the continental U.S. if you purchase $59 worth of products or more.
More info: Yümmy Bazaar
6. Vitacost
Vitacost is an online retailer that commits to “provide the very best natural, organic and eco-friendly products at the very best prices, with the best service to boot.” As the name suggests, the platform offers plenty of vitamins and supplements, in addition to tons of shelf-stable foods from brands such as Califia Farms, Annie’s, Siete Foods, Bertolli, Blue Diamond, Justin’s, and more.
More info: Vitacost
7. Boxed
If you don’t have a Costco membership (and don’t want to shop in person anyway), Boxed is your perfect workaround. This website offers bulk-sized options for great household products and shelf-stable items, in addition to an Express Grocery channel, (in which a Boxed Shopper in an approved area shops for you). Through express, you can shop for seafood, frozen foods, dairy, and more perishables. There’s no membership fee to shop Boxed. If you do want to upgrade, however, you can pay $49 a year to join Boxed Up, which gets you free or discounted shipping and 2 percent cash rewards.
More info: Boxed
8. Weee!
Weee! is an online grocer offering affordable Asian and Hispanic groceries and specialty items for next-day delivery (both fresh and shelf-stable). The company, which has been around since 2015, recently announced a huge round of funding, which will help the platform expand beyond the current major cities that it serves. Check out if your zip code fits the bill here.
More info: Say Weee!
9. iGourmet
For all of your fancy food needs, iGourmet has you covered. In addition to its artisanal meat and cheese selection, the platform also offers pantry staples, beverages, baking necessities, sweet treats, prepared meals, and even specialty meal kits. While you likely won’t be doing your everyday grocery shopping on iGourmet, it’s a good place to shop for special occasions, holidays, or treat-yourself moments. (Shipping rates start at $13.99, so it’s on the pricier side).
More info: iGourmet
10. Thrive Market
When you first visit Thrive Market, the website directs you to take a quiz to get to know you and your grocery shopping habits a bit better. From there, the experience is completely customized, making it easy to filter how you shop by dietary preferences, values, brands, and more. An annual membership costs $60 — in return, Thrive promises to price match, so you are guaranteed to get the lowest prices on their high-quality offerings.
More info: Thrive Market
11. Misfits Market
Misfits Market first started out as an ugly produce subscription service that served just a small number of regions. But thanks to increased demand during the pandemic, Misfits has now expanded its reach to 37 states and counting. In addition to offering low-cost rescued produce (and majorly reducing waste!), Misfits also boasts an ever-expanding first-come, first-served Marketplace filled with deeply discounted pantry staples from select partner brands. You have to subscribe to sign up, but boxes can be paused or canceled at any time for any reason.
More info: Misfits Market
12. Imperfect Foods
The mission of Imperfect Foods is to “get sustainable, affordable groceries delivered weekly to your door.” Members sign up and build a grocery plan, choosing a weekly delivery day (based on location). From there, a pre-populated grocery list can be customized, including both fresh and shelf-stable options. This is grocery shopping you can feel good about. But what’s imperfect about them? The platform works with grocery stores and suppliers to prevent perfectly good food from going to waste for reasons such as item discontinuations, cosmetic blemishes, or product surpluses.
More info: Imperfect Foods
Do you have anything to add to the list? Leave your suggestions in the comments below!