In a surprising reversal of the “delivery markup” norm, smart shoppers have discovered a new pricing anomaly in late 2025. For years, the rule of thumb was that grocery delivery services inflated shelf prices to cover their overhead. However, fierce competition for market share between giants like Amazon Fresh, Walmart+, and Kroger Boost has led to a new phenomenon: “delivery-only” base prices that are actually lower than the physical shelf price. When combined with digital coupons, this creates a double-dip savings opportunity.
