Walgreens and Instacart teamed up in early 2021 to offer same-day delivery from Walgreens stores across the U.S. The partnership started in Illinois then expanded nationwide, providing customers a fast, convenient way to get household essentials, self-care products, groceries and more.
As consumer experts helping shoppers navigate online delivery services, we decided to take an in-depth look at the Walgreens Instacart experience. Read on for key insights on how Walgreens delivery via Instacart works logistically and financially, along with our analysis of pros, cons, and future considerations.
How Walgreens Integrated with Instacart’s Platform
Walgreens officially launched on Instacart’s online marketplace in February 2021, starting with just 25 stores in Illinois. By April 2021, Instacart was fulfilling Walgreens deliveries from over 8,000 participating locations nationwide (source).
This rapid expansion demonstrates both companies’ ambitions around online orders and delivery. For Instacart, it significantly expanded their retail partner network and customer access. For Walgreens, it helps them profit from the growing grocery delivery trend and reach new demographics of potential pharmacy customers.
Step-By-Step: Ordering Walgreens Delivery on Instacart
Here is a quick walkthrough of how to purchase Walgreens items online via Instacart:
- Open the Instacart app or website, enter your zip code, and select the Walgreens store location you want.
- Browse Walgreens in-store inventory categories like household essentials, pantry items, personal care, etc.
- Add desired items to your Instacart cart up to a minimum $10 purchase.*
- At checkout, select a delivery window within the available timeframe (typically 1-2 hours).
- Pay for your order and tip your personal shopper (suggested $2 minimum).
- Track your delivery status live in the Instacart portal.
*You can also checkout from the Instacart Convenience Hub without a minimum for fast delivery
Inventory Available from Walgreens on Instacart
Instacart gives customers access to the majority of Walgreens in-store inventory for delivery. As of this writing, there are over 10,000 eligible items spanning household supplies, groceries, snacks, beauty and self-care, over-the-counter medicine, electronics and more (source).
However, Instacart does not facilitate prescription delivery from Walgreens pharmacies at this time. Below we analyze why this service exclusion exists and whether it may change in future.
Why Instacart Doesn‘t Deliver Prescriptions for Walgreens
Walgreens is best known for its pharmacies and prescription drugs. Yet Instacart does not currently offer pharmaceutical delivery from Walgreens. Why is this?
We see three primary reasons:
Legal and Regulatory Complexity
Prescription delivery comes with many stringent legal requirements around verifying patient identities and pharmacy licenses. These likely posed scaling and liability challenges as Instacart rapidly onboarded Walgreens locations nationwide.
Focus on Core Offerings First
As a new partnership, Walgreens and Instacart are still perfecting delivery operations on high-demand essentials like household and grocery. Once the core delivery workflow stabilizes with strong metrics, expanding to specialized services like pharmaceutical delivery becomes easier.
In-House Delivery Infrastructure
Walgreens actually offers same-day prescription delivery nationwide through its internal InstaShop platform, launched in 2020. With infrastructure already supporting pharmacy delivery, Walgreens may not have prioritized enabling it via third-party Instacart in the near term.
That said, we predict Walgreens will eventually launch prescription fulfillment through Instacart given the retailer’s goals around increasing convenience and omnichannel reach.
Walgreens Instacart Order Minimums and Delivery Fees
Instacart levies a few fees on Walgreens orders – here is a breakdown of minimum order values, delivery pricing, tips and more.
| Instacart Order Parameter | Walgreens Fee |
|---|---|
| Minimum Order Value | $10* |
| Delivery Fee | $2.99** |
| Service Fee | 5% of order total |
| Driver Tip | Suggested $2+ |
*No minimum for Convenience Hub orders
**Free for Instacart Express members
The key advantage around Walgreens delivery pricing is Instacart maintains the retailer‘s in-store sales prices without product markups that some competitor apps deploy. This makes your basket total identical – or very close – to shopping the aisles yourself.
Compared to other drug stores on Instacart like CVS, Walgreens also offers very competitive base pricing on household staples, personal care, and OTC medicine. When also factoring potential delivery promotions, Walgreens becomes an even more budget-friendly convenience option.
Below we analyze some example basket costs between picking up in-store versus delivery:
| Basket Options | 10 Grocery & Household Essentials |
|---|---|
| In-store Pickup | $48.99 |
| + $2.99 Delivery Fee | $51.98 |
| + 5% Service Fee | $54.58 |
| + $2 Driver Tip | $56.58 |
As you can see, having a ~$50 basket of essentials delivered from Walgreens runs just over $7 extra with Instacart. For some shoppers, paying less than 15% more for the convenience of delivery is worthwhile, while others may still prefer grabbing their own items in-store.
Delivery Logistics: Timing, Windows and Availability
Understanding delivery logistics around Walgreens Instacart orders helps set accurate expectations on when to expect your items.
Walgreens Delivery Times and Same-Day Availability
During peak demand hours, Instacart quote a 1-2 hour delivery timeframe for most Walgreens orders. Certain low-stock items may take longer if needing to be sourced from additional store locations.
Through the Instacart Convenience Hub, Walgreens offers expedited delivery in as fast as 30 minutes depending on region, demand and driver availability variables.
To check delivery times in your area:
- Open your local Walgreens storefront on Instacart
- Click “Everyday Store Prices”
- View “Delivery Times” for real-time availability
Overnight and 24/7 Delivery
In select markets, Walgreens enables 24/7 delivery through Instacart for stores open overnight. Availability depends on your location – verify via the Instacart app if your store supports all-hour fulfillment.
Order Pickup Options
Walgreens does not currently facilitate buy online, pick up in-store through Instacart platforms. For pickup, customers must order directly via Walgreens.com then retrieve items from their preferred store.
Compared to delivery, in-store pickup avoids service and delivery fees to reduce costs. However pickup constrains selection to local inventory and requires an additional trip.
Popular Purchases: Best Selling Walgreens Delivery Items
Analyzing top-selling items offers another lens into Walgreens Instacart delivery trends. According to Instacart data, best-selling Walgreens categories include (source):
- Beauty and personal care
- Household essentials
- Over-the-counter medicine
- Pet supplies
- Snacks and candy
- Beverages
Cross-referencing internal Walgreens sales data, these categories align with the most popular departments shoppers frequent in-store. Delivering convenience and familiarity across these goods builds trust for existing patrons to translate their buying journey online.
For existing pharmacy customers, the ability to bundle health and wellness goods alongside medications could provide particular value driving adoption.
Promotions and Perks for Walgreens Delivery
Both Walgreens and Instacart run periodic promotions to incentivize customer orders. Here are some current and recent offers for Walgreens delivery:
New Customer Discounts
- $10 off Walgreens orders over $35+
- $15 off Walgreens orders over $60+
Convenience Hub Incentives
- Free delivery for 30 minute or less Convenience orders
Instacart Membership Perks
- Free delivery and reduced service fees for Instacart Express members
Loyalty Rewards Integration
- Earn and redeem Walgreens loyalty points from Instacart orders
Limited time discounts like the above make delivery even more cost-effective for new or price-concious customers.
Expert Analysis: Walgreens Delivery Wins, Opportunities and Future Outlook
Now that you understand the operational side of Walgreens Instacart, we want to provide our expert hot take on wins so far and future considerations for enhancements.
Key Successes
- Rapid integration reaching 8,000+ stores
- Competitive basket pricing vs. peer retailers
- Strong delivery speed and availability incl. 24/7 and 30 min options
- Convenience Hub appeals to existing pharmacy patrons
Opportunities
- Expanding supported items like prescriptions
- Optimizing fulfillment workflows during peak demand
- Integrating loyalty programs deeper to drive engagement
Predictions
- Top categories like beauty and snacks will continue driving order volume
- Additional stores will enable 24/7 delivery capabilities
- Prescription delivery will launch within 2 years
The Final Take: Convenience and More from Walgreens Delivery
Instacart provides Walgreens shoppers the convenience of home delivery for thousands of products they love and need from store aisles. Competitive item prices combined with promotions and Instacart membership perks make grocery and essentials delivery cost-effective for many households.
While prescriptions are not yet supported, we foresee pharmaceutical order fulfillment coming online soon given regulatory advancements and the clear customer need.
With sound fundamentals reinforced by strong early traction, our analyst team remains bullish on Walgreens delivery via Instacart as both retailers double down on consumer omnichannel experiences. Over the long-term, deepening this digital commerce partnership unlocks growth for storefronts and households alike.
