What To Know About Publix's Delivery And Curbside Pickup Options

With all the grocery shopping mobile apps these days, who wouldn't want to take advantage of them? Publix is an accessible store for pick-up or delivery through either Instacart or its own app. Excellent customer service is one of the reasons why Publix has become a Southern grocery staple, but there are some key things to know before placing a grocery order at the store.

Naturally, there may be a cost difference from shopping in-store, as Publix uses Instacart for the app's function, evidenced by the Instacart carrot on Publix's app logo. Unfortunately, this influences the cost difference as fees are added to store pricing, which can sometimes equal a 30% markup to account for Instacart's service. While Instacart can access the best deals from the store's weekly flyers for anyone stocking up on worthwhile grocery staples, Publix app shoppers can apply the store's digital coupons for additional savings.

As an extension of Publix's focus on its customers, its shopping app offers a smooth user experience. The homepage displays store items organized into categories — similar to the layout of each Publix store — with a ticker at the bottom showing the number of items in the cart and how much shoppers are saving. Its appearance closely resembles Instacart, as Publix partnered with it for the store's shopping, ordering, and delivery functions. While Instacart utilizes contracted local shoppers for delivery orders, including Publix, the Curbside Pickup process has some differences that could influence the app's reliability.

Although Instacart shoppers manage the shopping and delivery tasks needed, a key detail Publix app shoppers might not realize is that store associates retrieve their Curbside Pickup orders. What makes this a crucial point is that if a location is short-staffed or busy, team members might not be readily available to bring the order out to its customers. This means that curbside orders may experience longer wait times, even after Publix is notified of their arrival. 

A potential drawback of getting groceries delivered rather than doing curbside pickup is the risk of stolen goods. While Publix's staff has direct oversight in-store, Instacart shoppers are gig workers, and there have been instances of shoppers stealing customer orders. Of course, downsides such as built-in fees, product pricing, and extended wait times for an order can be troubling, but this is normal for any shopping or delivery app. Like anything else, most issues with orders on the Publix app are handled by Instacart on a case-by-case basis, and any credit or refunds can vary. 

Customers can always reach out to Publix directly for any urgent issues. When contacting Publix and Instacart Help Center representatives for further details, each company should take the appropriate steps to assist anyone who has experienced problems with their order. Certainly, the Publix app is incredibly convenient for anyone. As a suggestion for new users, perhaps try it out by ordering some delicious "Pub Sub" sandwiches from this Southern grocery store.