More people are doing grocery delivery, so we put delivery to the test

CLEVELAND — More people are turning to online grocery shopping than ever. A new study shows grocery deliveries jumped 30% in the past year, and in August, online grocery sales were up 14% from the year before.

But with more shoppers relying on delivery, the question is: Are they saving money or wasting it?

To find out, News 5’s consumer team tested two services: Aldi via DoorDash and Walmart with the same grocery list. Both offered speedy service, with orders arriving in under an hour, and both delivered items in good condition.

The biggest difference was price. One order came to $20.72, including fees (before tip), while the other totaled $32.99 after an express delivery charge. That's a savings of more than $12.

Frequent delivery users may want to consider subscription services. Walmart Plus costs $98 a year and offers a free 30-day trial. DoorDash offers DashPass, which is free for a year and then $9.99 a month.

Each week, we’ll visit Meijer, Giant Eagle, Aldi, Walmart, Heinen's and Dave's Market, checking prices on everyday essentials.

Those include: 2% milk, a loaf of wheat bread, chicken price per pound, ground beef tray or patty per pound (80% lean 20% fat), 12 dozen white eggs, and toasted oats cereal.

If you're willing to shop around, you can snag even deeper discounts on meat, dairy, and pantry goods.

We’re also giving you a chance to see how your favorite stores stack up week to week. We’ll compare how grocery prices change at each store on a weekly basis.

Here's how prices compare across stores this week:

Meijer 

Giant Eagle 

Aldi

Walmart

Heinen’s

Dave's Market

From buy-one-get-one-free meat deals to cereal under $2, our Don’t Waste Your Money team will be keeping an eye on store shelves and sharing what we find.

Find a better deal? We want to hear from you! Submit your finds through the form below. If you beat our prices, we’ll feature them.

And if you’re a savvy shopper, always chasing the best deals, we may even join you on your next grocery run.