Instacart has brought time-saving convenience to millions of families with its groundbreaking services. Day in and day out, there are shoppers available to walk the aisles, check out and deliver groceries right to your front door. But what about late at night?
How late does Instacart deliver? If you’ve been wondering if midnight snack deliveries are possible, find out below!
Key Takeaways
How Late Does Instacart Deliver In 2022?
Instacart’s delivery hours follow the operating hours of the retailers who offer delivery through the app. Therefore, it’s likely that customers will find an open retailer between the hours of 9 am and 8 pm in 2022. Some stores may stay open later, while Instacart offers 24-hour delivery with some convenience-based partners.
To learn more about where Instacart delivery is available 24/7, which stores are open late or 24 hours a day and what locations might have 24-hour delivery available, keep reading!
Is Instacart Open 24/7?
Anywhere you are, the Instacart app supports customers viewing available retailers and adding items to their shopping cart, no matter what time of day or night.
However, Instacart being “open” 24/7 is not the same as Instacart offering delivery 24/7, so it’s important to note the distinction.
That said, the app doesn’t go dormant or “close” after a certain time, just because you might live in an area where stores close by 10 pm.
If you’re awake at 2 am, and you remember that you need to add toilet paper to your Instacart shopping cart, then by all means, open the app and add it.
Does Instacart Deliver 24/7?
Instacart does deliver 24/7, but only through certain retail partners that are open 24 hours already.
In September 2021, Instacart announced that it was extending its delivery hours with several retail partners who stay open 24 hours already.
These include the following:
- Safeway
- CVS
- 7-Eleven
- Rite Aid
- Walgreens
However, if your CVS or 7-Eleven is not currently open 24 hours, then it most likely doesn’t support 24-hour delivery on Instacart.
This means that the 24-hour delivery service is more likely to be found in bigger cities or metropolitan areas.
What Is the Instacart Convenience Hub?
If you’re shopping for something for 2 am delivery on Instacart, then you’re very likely using the app’s Convenience Hub.
This is what Instacart calls its in-app marketplace for convenience orders, and where many of the late delivery retail options reside.
Not only does Instacart group its convenience store retailers here, larger stores like Kroger or Publix have “smaller, convenience-specific product offerings” in the marketplace.
The Convenience Hub is ideal for smaller orders under $35 but over $10.
Express members who use the Convenience Hub get free Priority delivery, and non-Express members get free regular delivery.
Delivery speeds can be as fast as 30 minutes (or even less, depending on how close you live to the store).
Next time you have a hankering for a midnight snack, check out Instacart’s Convenience Hub to see who’s open late and whether any of your stores are open 24 hours.
You can access the Convenience Hub in your app by opening Instacart. At the top under the main search bar, you will see a list of hubs. These include Pickup, Grocery, Alcohol, etc.
Convenience will likely be near the beginning, but if not, scroll over until you find it.
How Late Can You Shop on Instacart?
You can shop most storefronts for delivery on Instacart until 7 or 8 pm, though hours vary by specific locations.
Some storefronts offer later hours or 24-hour delivery options when shopping through the Convenience Hub.
When Instacart announced it was rolling out 24-hour delivery in September 2021, it also introduced extended hours.
This was specifically for those stores who remain open past “normal” Instacart delivery hours (but aren’t open 24 hours).
For example, some Walgreens stores are open until 11 pm, past the usual time that stores like Aldi or Family Dollar close.
While Walgreens isn’t open 24 hours, through the Convenience Hub, you can get delivery up to 10 p.m. now on weeknights in select locations.
If you’re not sure how late your stores are open, simply go to the app and find the store you want.
In the upper right corner under the search bar, you’ll see the next available delivery time. If you click on that, it will open all the available delivery times.
You can scroll to see how late delivery is possible for you.
What Stores on Instacart Are Open Late?
Some of the stores that are open late include the aforementioned Safeway, Publix, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, and 7-Eleven, plus Food Lion.
Some retailers even have special names for their convenience storefronts.
For example, Publix calls its service Publix Quick Picks, and Food Lion’s refers to its service as Food Lion Now.
Where Does Instacart Deliver Late?
Because you are more likely to find 24-hour and open-late retailers in larger cities and metropolitan areas, that is where Instacart is more likely to deliver late.
Huge cities like New York City and Los Angeles will see delivery hours up to 11 pm or midnight for some stores, like Stop & Shop, CVS, and Walgreens.
If you live near a 24-hour convenience store or grocery store, visit the Convenience Hub on Instacart to see if that translates into 24-hour delivery service for you.
To know more, you can also see our posts on why is Instacart so slow, if you should tip Instacart delivery drivers, and Instacart refund.
Conclusion
The Instacart app is “open” 24/7 for adding items to your cart, though most storefronts only offer delivery during regular business hours.
However, since Fall 2021, some storefronts have begun offering later delivery or even 24-hour delivery through Instacart’s Convenience Hub.