Ordered Ice Cream with a Side of Light Bulbs — How Shipt Delivers Pretty Much ANYTHING

Do I really need someone to deliver my groceries?

Let me be honest, I’m not totally into delivery services. There’s something about them that doesn’t feel like I’m saving money, which is really my end game any time I shop. I’ve seen crazy high membership prices or an increase in prices compared to what’s advertised in stores, and both of those factors drove me away.

But then I learned about Shipt and my mind started to change.

Shipt is offering all you Hip2Save readers $50 off the annual membership price of $99 (super sweet!) with our exclusive promo code 62CCK618A3B that you’ll use during sign up, making it just $49. I decided to give this service a try and share my experience with you…

How Shipt works.

I checked to see if this service was even available near me and luckily my local Target delivers through Shipt, so I got myself signed up and started browsing. Searching for products on Shipt is way easier than searching in store, and I can filter by price, department, or even put in a special request if I don’t see what I’m looking for. I can even save products as favorites to make reordering a breeze.

With a paid membership, any order over $35 is delivered free! Only need a few things? A flat fee of $7 will come with any order under $35. The $7 fee may also accompany orders containing alcohol depending on the retailer.

And as far as the selection? It’s pretty much any and everything that’s available on Target’s website. So aside from groceries, I can have cleaning supplies, home decor, electronics, and so much more delivered within a couple of hours. That’s pretty awesome!

Can I still get some savings?

At Hip2Save we’re all about the deals of course. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to use coupons with my order, but I quickly spotted their On Sale section. To my surprise, there were actually a lot of discounts! Shipt has the same discounts on products as they are shown on Target.com. They even have featured promotions that are exclusive to Shipt where you can earn shopping credits for future orders if you spend over a specific amount on various products or within certain product categories. They change frequently so it’s worth checking into the app weekly for any hot new promos.

What’s even better is that you can filter out the items to only show products on sale. I LOVE this feature since it makes it even easier to scope out a good deal!

What I added to my Shipt cart.

Having recently gone shopping, our apartment was pretty well stocked but I did need a few random things, so here are some of the items I added to my cart:

• Cocoa butter lotion. It was on sale and I definitely need it heading into fall/winter.
• Light bulbs. It’s getting darker earlier and our apartment is eerily dim.
• Ice cream. This is a must-have for my freezer at all times.
• Bakeware. I can’t be the only one who desperately needs to replace a cruddy cookie sheet.
• Cleaning supplies. Has anyone used this shower cleaner? I’m really looking forward to trying it.
• Fruit. Because I probably shouldn’t base my diet solely on ice cream.
• Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea. This needs no explanation — it’s fall y’all. 🍂
• Porcelain coffee mug. For the pumpkin spice chai tea.

When I was thinking about my normal Target routine, I was reminded how every time I walk away from cashing out, it’s almost second nature to stop at Starbucks. So naturally, I wondered if they would deliver me my Venti Cold Brew from Starbucks. I knew it was a ridiculous request though I still typed it into the search bar to just have a laugh to myself. Alas! I forgot you can buy bottled Starbucks cold brew at Target! Needless to say, I added that, and a skinny caramel macchiato version, to my cart instantly.

Because this is kind of a random assortment for a grocery shopping trip, it’s convenient that I can order delivery through Shipt at stores like Target since they have all these products (and certainly more) in one place. I will say, part of me missed the experience of walking the aisles to procure these items (along with grabbing “certainly more” as well) though it makes my shopping efficient, quick, and more likely than not, much cheaper.

On to placing my order.

As with any shopping trip, I always forget something. Luckily, you can add items to your order before the shopper starts tackling your list, giving you a little extra time to make sure you’ve added absolutely everything. I chose the soonest delivery window and saw that my order had been claimed by a Shipt shopper within an hour. The fate of my Target order was now at the hands of Tammy.

About an hour had passed and I received a text from Tammy. She was shopping for my order and a small storage basket I had selected was out of stock. She was nice enough to text me pictures of 3 similar baskets with prices if I wanted to make a substitution. After we squared away that minor setback, she texted again about my desired ice cream flavor being unavailable. Again, with a simple substitution, we were back on track. Though not long after, she had a final inquiry if I wanted to switch out my requested Starbucks Skinny Caramel Macchiato bottle for a non-sugar-free option since the SF version wasn’t available.

Then she was off to check out and would be on her way to me shortly!

My Shipt order is here!

I greeted Tammy (who was so friendly by the way!) and we transferred the Target bags from her arms to mine. I’ve never had anyone shop for me before, so I was curious if she took as much care to keep the ice cream cold, choose quality produce, and pick a coffee mug without any scratches or defects (and keep it that way). I’m happy to report everything arrived as it should!

• Ice cream: It was still very frozen, and from the texts I received from Tammy, it sounds like she shopped the cold items last.
• Apples / Strawberries: Perfect! Produce can be tricky but my shopper was careful to avoid apples with bruising or smooshed strawberries.
• Lotion / Shower cleaner: These both had tops that could have broken but they were both intact with no leakage.
• Mug / Light bulbs: Since these were fragile, I was worried about breakage or chips in the porcelain, but the mug was wrapped up to avoid damage.

The pros and cons.

Let’s start with the pros:

• Ordering is so easy. I mean, it’s almost too easy. Simply open the app, browse around for your products (or find them immediately using the search bar), place your order, and get ready to say hi to your Shipt shopper in a couple hours!
• The delivery is fast and accurate. I received my order during the scheduled time frame and with my products in quality condition. It can be risky ordering produce or frozen foods to be picked and handled by another person, but my Shipt shopper was awesome!
• All prices were consistent with Target.com. As I mentioned earlier, I was worried about missing out on discounts, though after cross-checking my cart to Target’s website, all the prices (including markdowns) were the same!
• There are exclusive savings through Shipt. The featured promotions had me spend a small amount in product categories I’m already shopping and I got a shopping credit for my next order — sweet!
• The shoppers actually care about your order! I don’t know if I just got lucky but my shopper went out of her way to go to a different Target store since the one closest to me is under construction. From the sounds of it, she couldn’t find any of the cold products (which trust me, the renovation makes navigating my nearby store a nightmare) so she went elsewhere to complete the order instead of marking everything unavailable. So thoughtful!

And now, unfortunately, the cons:

• Only credit or debit is accepted. So gift cards are out of the picture, which is unfortunate since I typically earn Target gift cards through various promotions. And because the transaction happens through Shipt rather than Target, the RedCard isn’t accepted nor can you receive the 5% discount.
• You can’t use coupons or in-store promos. Manufacturer coupons or special in-store promotions are not honored by Shipt, which is a bummer since the Cartwheel savings are one of the reasons why I love shopping at Target in the first place.
• There’s no physical receipt. If you normally shop with Ibotta or Checkout 51, you won’t be able to take advantage of these cashback apps since you don’t receive a physical receipt.
• Not all product categories are available. The clothing & accessories selection along with clearance finds appear to be missing from the Shipt app, though I’m not sure if that’s at fault of Shipt or Target.

Me, Shipt, and our future.

Overall, I can totally see the value in this service. Will I use it every time I need something from Target? Mmm… probably not, but only because sometimes I enjoy running errands, and Target runs are hands down the best part of my weekend mornings. That said, once it gets closer to the holidays and my schedule ramps up, I know I’ll take advantage of this two-hour delivery service. AND I think Shipt is a fantastic service for new moms! I can see how emergency needs can easily be fulfilled without loading up the baby and all the baby’s gear. Super convenient!

In fact, I can see this service coming to the rescue for a variety of situations: Cooking for a dinner party and forgot you needed a certain ingredient? Are you out of cleaning supplies to tackle the mess? Or do you need candles for mood lighting? Or light bulbs for real lighting? Or a belated birthday gift for one of the guests coming over? You know where I’m going with this — you can get ALL of that DELIVERED in under 2 hours. I’m pretty sure this changes entertaining at home as we know it.

It’s also so convenient for those coming back into town from vacation who don’t have the energy to shop after being away. Really, any person who wants one of their errands scratched off their to-do list with minimal effort can benefit from using this service!

And it doesn’t stop at just Target. Time will only tell when more stores jump on board in my area since it’s only Target and Gordon’s Restaurant Supply that deliver through this service near me. Popular grocers who partner with Shipt in other areas include Publix, Winn-Dixie, H-E-B, Safeway, Meijer, Western Market, and many more!

So, would you give Shipt a try?

If you said yes, today’s your lucky day! For a limited time, Shipt is giving Hip2Save readers $50 off yearly memberships — that cuts their regular membership cost of $99 in half! Use code 62CCK618A3B when signing up for the $50 off discount to be applied to your membership.

Written by Emily for Hip2Save. Emily lives in Buffalo, NY where she spends her time drinking lots of coffee, scouring the internet for deals, and tackling DIY projects. She’s a big believer in self-care and living the fullest life possible, all while saving money of course.