If you‘re like most people, weekends are a precious time to check off errands and get ready for the week ahead. But between family obligations, social plans, and much-needed downtime, it can feel impossible to fit in a time-consuming trip to the grocery store. That‘s where grocery delivery services like Instacart come in clutch, bringing all your household essentials straight to your door with just a few taps on your phone.
But if Sunday is really the only day you can get things done, you may be wondering: does Instacart deliver on Sundays? Here‘s everything you need to know about Instacart‘s weekend availability and how to make the most of this modern convenience.
Yes, Instacart Delivers 7 Days a Week, Including Sundays
First, the good news: Instacart does indeed deliver every day of the week, Sundays included. In fact, Sunday is one of the platform‘s busiest days as many people are at home and taking the time to restock before diving into the Monday grind.
Instacart has transformed the weekly grocery haul, allowing you to outsource this time-consuming chore to a personal shopper who will hand-pick your items and bring them right to your doorstep. Whether you‘re busy with kids‘ activities, tackling a DIY project, or just want to relax on your day off, Instacart offers a way to check grocery shopping off your list without leaving the house.
However, it‘s important to note that Instacart‘s Sunday delivery does come with a few caveats. Since demand is high, you may encounter:
- Higher delivery fees and "busy pricing" upcharges
- Fewer available delivery time slots
- Potentially longer wait times due to shopper availability
- Items more likely to be out of stock by end of the weekend
While these potential hurdles shouldn‘t stop you from placing a Sunday order when needed, it‘s good to be aware and plan accordingly. For the smoothest Instacart experience on a Sunday, consider:
- Placing your order earlier in the day to secure a convenient time slot
- Doing a larger restock mid-week to avoid the crowds and leave weekends for last-minute needs
- Checking the Instacart app a few days in advance to monitor time slots and pricing
- Opting for an Instacart Express membership to get free delivery and avoid surge pricing
Instacart Store Hours on Sundays and Weekends
Another factor to keep in mind is that each store on the Instacart marketplace sets its own delivery hours. While the Instacart platform itself runs round the clock, the window for placing orders with a particular retailer will depend on that store‘s operating hours.
In general, you can expect most stores on Instacart to start delivering around 8 AM or 9 AM and stop taking orders around 8 PM or 9 PM. However, it‘s common for grocery stores to open a bit later and close a bit earlier on Sundays compared to other days of the week. This means the window for Instacart orders may be slightly reduced.
For example, if a participating store closes at 8 PM instead of 10 PM on Sundays, they may stop taking Instacart orders at 7 PM to give shoppers time to complete final deliveries before closing. The best way to check a particular store‘s Sunday Instacart hours is through the app, where you can view available time slots up to five days in advance.
Some Instacart Retailers Now Offer 24/7 Delivery
Recently, Instacart also introduced 24/7 delivery with select national retailers, unlocking the ability to get essentials delivered at any time of day or night. The retailers spearheading this new offering are mainly drugstores and convenience stores who already operated on a 24/7 basis, such as:
- Walgreens
- CVS
- Rite Aid
- 7-Eleven
This means that in some markets, you can now get over the counter medicine, snacks, toiletries, and other last-minute needs fulfilled by Instacart in the middle of the night or in the early morning hours before most stores open. This 24/7 delivery option is still rolling out and is not yet available everywhere.
However, if you do live close to a major pharmacy chain, it‘s worth checking the Instacart app to see if they‘re offering round the clock delivery in your area. This could be a game-changer for those inevitable Sunday evenings when you realize you‘re out of diapers, dog food, Advil, or other can‘t-wait-until-morning items.
Why Sunday Instacart Orders Surge
So what exactly is behind the Sunday surge on Instacart? A few key factors drive the weekend grocery delivery rush:
1. It‘s a day off for most people
With the majority of people not working on Sundays, it‘s a natural day to take care of household management tasks like grocery shopping. Even with the convenience of Instacart, people still prefer to be at home to receive deliveries and put away fresh food rather than worrying about it sitting outside while they‘re at the office.
2. Preparing for the week ahead
Sunday is the day to hit the reset button and gear up for the week to come. That includes getting the fridge and pantry restocked with meal prep staples, school snacks, and lunchbox items. People are in a forward-thinking mindset and want to feel set up for success come Monday morning.
3. Avoiding the pre-Monday store crowds
The only thing worse than a Sunday spent grocery shopping is navigating the Sunday crowds to do so. With Instacart delivery, you can steer clear of picked-over aisles and long checkout lines while still checking the chore off your list. And for those who do brave the store, Instacart offers a way to grab those last few things you forgot without a dreaded second trip.
4. More time to meal plan and browse
Weekdays can feel like a race against the clock, throwing dinner together with whatever‘s in the house. Weekends provide more breathing room to thoughtfully meal plan, flip through Pinterest for recipe inspiration, and take inventory of what ingredients you need. People may spend Sunday mornings mapping out the week‘s menu and compiling a thorough shopping list to hand off to their Instacart shopper.
5. Stocking up for weekend hosting
Weekends are also prime time for hosting, whether it‘s a family dinner, evening with friends, or a kids‘ playdate. Sundays find many hosts placing large Instacart orders for ingredients and supplies to pull off weekend entertaining at the last minute, without sacrificing preparation time in the kitchen or missing out on the fun.
While all of these factors combine to make Sundays extra busy on Instacart, the platform has proven more than capable of handling the weekend rush. By onboarding a surplus of shoppers in most markets, Instacart is able to keep up with the ebb and flow of demand. But as a customer, it never hurts to plan ahead and give yourself ample lead time when requesting Sunday delivery.
How Instacart Compares to Other Grocery Delivery Options on Sundays
Of course, Instacart isn‘t the only grocery delivery game in town these days. Since the onset of the pandemic, the market has seen an influx of competitors, including DoorDash, Uber Eats, Shipt, Walmart+, and online ordering systems from major grocery chains. So how does Instacart stack up in terms of Sunday availability and overall experience? Here‘s a quick comparison:
DoorDash: Started as a restaurant delivery platform but has significantly expanded into grocery, convenience, and alcohol delivery. Offers on-demand delivery from many of the same retailers as Instacart, with comparable Sunday hours.
Uber Eats: Similar to DoorDash, Uber has leveraged its fleet of rideshare drivers to meet the demand for same-day delivery across restaurants, grocery stores, and more. While hours vary by retailer, Uber does offer Sunday delivery.
Shipt: Owned by Target, Shipt is a membership-based grocery delivery service that charges an annual fee of $99 for free delivery on orders over $35. Shipt has a more limited retailer selection than Instacart but does include heavy hitters like Target, Costco, and Kroger. Delivery is available 7 days a week.
Walmart+: Walmart‘s answer to Amazon Prime, this subscription service offers benefits like free shipping and, in some areas, free grocery delivery on orders over $35. Sunday delivery slots are often limited and highly competitive.
Grocery chain apps (Kroger, Publix, etc.): Many major grocery chains now have their own apps for online ordering, curbside pickup, and delivery. While this allows for a direct line of communication with the store, third-party platforms like Instacart often offer more flexible delivery windows.
At the end of the day, Instacart remains one of the most robust grocery delivery options out there, especially for weekend orders. With its extensive network of stores, intuitive interface, and ability to deliver alcohol and prescriptions, Instacart is well-equipped to be your Sunday shopping sidekick.
The Pandemic‘s Role in Normalizing Sunday Grocery Delivery
It‘s worth noting that the pandemic played a huge role in accelerating the adoption of grocery delivery across all platforms. With people limiting trips outside the home and stores facing reduced capacity, services like Instacart became a necessity rather than just a nice-to-have.
As a result, Instacart saw explosive growth in 2020, with order volume increasing by as much as 500% year over year. The company scrambled to meet the sudden surge in demand, onboarding hundreds of thousands of new shoppers and expanding into new markets at lightning speed.
While the pandemic panic buying has since subsided, it seems the habit of outsourcing grocery shopping – especially on Sundays – is here to stay. Many people have come to rely on the convenience and time savings of having someone else tackle the weekly restock run.
In a post-pandemic world, Instacart delivery has become a normal part of the Sunday routine, alongside sleeping in, catching up on laundry, and binging the latest Netflix release. The "new norm" of app-based grocery shopping has made it possible to make the most of those precious weekend hours.
The Bottom Line on Instacart Sunday Delivery
So, does Instacart deliver on Sundays? The answer is a resounding yes. Not only does Instacart offer Sunday delivery, but it‘s actually one of the busiest days of the week for the platform as people prep for the week ahead.
While you may encounter higher fees and longer wait times during peak Sunday hours, a little planning can go a long way. Consider becoming an Express member, checking time slots in advance, and placing orders early in the day for the smoothest experience.
At the end of the day, Instacart‘s Sunday delivery is a modern convenience that can make all the difference in freeing up your weekends and giving you a headstart on the week. So go ahead and outsource that Sunday supermarket run – your future self will thank you.
