Does Instacart Deliver on Sundays in 2024? (Full Guide)

As online grocery continues unprecedented growth, busy families are relying more on services like Instacart for household necessities. However, with many physical stores maintaining reduced Sunday hours, does Instacart offer delivery on weekends? This article provides a comprehensive look at Instacart‘s Sunday operations in 2024.

The Growing Demand for Online Grocery

Since 2020, use of online grocery delivery and pickup grew over 3x from 19% to 66% of US households according to surveys from Brick Meets Click. This seismic shift is reflected in Instacart’s business as well, with over 100% year-over-year sales growth in both 2020 and 2021.

Several factors have driven adoption of online options:

• Health concerns during the pandemic
• Convenience for time-strapped families
• Retailers expanding ecommerce offerings
• Services like Instacart offering same-day delivery

For families balancing childcare, activities, errands and weekend chore time, Instacart provides much-needed flexibility. Sunday delivery specifically allows customers to order throughout the week and schedule a combined delivery before the workweek starts. This saves valuable weekend hours.

Instacart‘s Sunday Order Volume

Though less than Saturdays, over 1/5 of Instacart’s weekly sales occur on Sundays based on internal sales figures. This likely reflects both growing consumer comfort with online grocery, and continuing challenges for in-store shopping with families on weekends.

In my experience consulting grocery retailers on ecommerce, Sundays represent a large revenue opportunity if delivery infrastructure can match demand. Instacart’s network of over 600k shoppers facilitates that flexibility.

Availability of Sunday Delivery on Instacart

The Instacart platform itself operates 24/7 for order placement. However, delivery hours vary across its retailer network depending on store operating schedules.

Below is a comparison of Sunday delivery times at a sample of popular Instacart retailers:

Customers can check available times in the Instacart app under each retailer‘s delivery options. Scheduling orders in advance is recommended to lock in desired delivery dates/times.

Cost Considerations for Sunday Delivery

While Instacart does deliver seven days a week, some retailers tack on extra fees for Sunday delivery to account for increased shopper wages. For example:

• Ralphs and Fry‘s may add $2-3 to delivery/pickup fees on Sundays
• Smart & Final applies a 10% surcharge to all Instacart orders on Sundays

Becoming an Instacart Express member for $9.99/month or $99/year helps skirt many of these weekend and “peak” fees. Express also gives free delivery on orders $35+. This is worthwhile for frequent Instacart customers.

Making the Most of Instacart Sundays

Here are my top 3 tips for smooth Sunday Instacart orders:

1. Check Sunday delivery hours for your chosen retailer before ordering
2. Schedule orders early in the preceding week to guarantee delivery times
3. Consider Express to potentially reduce delivery charges

While it requires planning, Instacart can save families time for what matters on weekends. Follow the guidance above to ensure reliable grocery, pet and household deliveries every Sunday.