As the sun dips below the Atlanta skyline, the city’s appetite for convenience and fresh food is being reshaped by a new wave of delivery services—some driven by tech giants, others by passionate local entrepreneurs. On September 24, 2025, two stories unfolded that, at first glance, might seem worlds apart. Yet, both reveal how the digital age is transforming the way Americans bring groceries and gourmet treats to their doors, whether it’s a week’s worth of produce or a warm croissant baked just hours earlier.
At the heart of the national conversation is Instacart, the grocery delivery powerhouse, and its newly appointed CEO, Chris Rogers. Speaking at Goldman Sachs’ Communacopia & Technology Conference, Rogers made waves by championing a simple but powerful idea: keep online grocery prices the same as those in-store—or as close as possible. According to RetailWire, Rogers is pushing retailers on the Instacart marketplace to adopt this “price parity” model, arguing that it’s the key to unlocking online grocery growth.
“Affordability is probably the biggest unlock to online grocery adoption,” Rogers told the conference crowd, emphasizing that cost is the number one reason shoppers abandon Instacart. Over the past year, retailers who’ve embraced price parity—offering online shoppers the same deals as in-store—have grown 10 percentage points faster than those who tack on digital markups. That’s not just a blip; it’s a sign that consumers are paying close attention to every dollar, especially as inflation and economic uncertainty linger in the background.
Several major retailers have already heeded Instacart’s call. Ontario’s Heritage Grocers Group, the Lowe’s home improvement chain, and St. Louis-based Schnucks all moved to same-as-in-store pricing earlier this year. Pattison Food Group, a major player in Western Canada, recently joined Instacart’s marketplace with in-store pricing. Even big-box behemoths are taking notice: Walmart Canada and Costco have both trimmed their online markups, with Costco’s changes visible on its sameday.costco.com and sameday.costco.ca platforms.
Instacart’s strategy isn’t just about price tags. The company now labels retailers offering “in-store prices” on its platform, making it easier for customers to spot the best deals. It’s also layering on perks like loyalty program integration, digital weekly flyers, and support for EBT SNAP payments—all designed to make online shopping feel just as affordable and accessible as a quick trip to the corner store. For those who shop often, the Instacart+ subscription ($9.99 a month or $99 a year) eliminates delivery fees on most orders and reduces service fees, while less-expensive delivery options and promotional discounts sweeten the deal further.
But the battle for America’s grocery baskets is heating up. In mid-August, Amazon announced a bold expansion: same-day delivery of perishables in more than 1,000 cities and towns across the U.S. As reported by RetailWire, Amazon Prime members now get free delivery on orders over $25 (and pay just $2.99 below that), while non-Prime members face a $12.99 fee with no order minimum. For many, the move signals a new era of competition between two of the biggest names in online retail.
Yet, Rogers remains unfazed. In the three markets where Amazon is piloting same-day perishable delivery, Instacart’s gross transaction value has held steady. Rogers points out that, while Amazon’s offering is impressive, its delivery windows are still four to five hours, and its selection is limited to a “few thousand perishable SKUs.” Instacart, by contrast, boasts a staggering 17 million SKUs and prides itself on catering to the 70% of its customers who have at least one dietary preference. “They trust us because of our speed and our quality,” Rogers said, adding that Amazon’s announcement is a “rallying cry with our retailers” to double down on technology and service improvements. Many retailers, he noted, have reached out to Instacart seeking ways to better compete in this rapidly evolving landscape.
While the giants spar over national market share, a different kind of delivery revolution is quietly taking shape in Atlanta. Enter Viennoiseries After Dark, a nighttime croissant delivery service that’s winning the hearts—and taste buds—of local residents. As featured in Rough Draft Atlanta, this cottage bakery was founded in the summer of 2025 by college student Chloë Chadet and her mother, Christelle. Their mission? To satisfy late-night cravings for croissants and bring a taste of Paris to Atlanta’s doorsteps.
Chloë, a dual U.S. and French citizen, learned the art of baking during summers spent with family in Paris. She started small, making apple turnovers as a child, but her passion grew as she bounced between the U.S. and France. After transferring from Louisiana State University to Chattahoochee Tech in 2024, she launched Viennoiseries After Dark in August 2025, with her mother’s enthusiastic support.
Unlike mass-produced pastries, Chloë’s croissants are laminated by hand—a labor-intensive process that takes two to three days per batch. Every week, the Chadets post a Square order link on their Instagram stories, letting customers preorder single croissants or boxes of four to six for around $18. For heartier appetites, a whole quiche feeding up to six people goes for $26. Deliveries are scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, and the Chadets personally hand-deliver orders within a 13-mile radius of their Westside Atlanta location, covering neighborhoods like Chamblee, Dunwoody, Decatur, Tucker, and Vinings.
The menu is evolving, too. Chloë recently added a bacon gruyere quiche and, after testing them out on a few lucky customers in September, plans to introduce madeleines—those petite, shell-shaped sponge cakes with a hint of citrus. “Even though I’m here in Atlanta, I want people to experience Paris, one way or another,” Chloë told Rough Draft Atlanta. “Everyone should experience warm croissant after hours. I feel like people deserve croissants throughout the day.”
Viennoiseries After Dark isn’t just about food; it’s about experience. The aroma of freshly baked croissants wafting through the door, the warmth of a flaky pastry in hand—it’s a sensory escape from the ordinary. Chloë balances her baking with classes, a job at Crumbl Cookies, modeling gigs, and volunteer work at the Atlanta Humane Society. But her commitment to quality and community is unwavering.
Looking ahead, the Chadets hope to expand their delivery radius later this fall, tapping into third-party services like UberEats and DoorDash to reach even more Atlantans. It’s a small business story, but it echoes the broader trend: consumers want convenience, quality, and a personal touch, whether they’re ordering groceries for the week or a midnight snack.
From the high-stakes rivalry between Instacart and Amazon to the homegrown passion of Viennoiseries After Dark, the future of food delivery is being shaped by innovation, affordability, and a dash of old-fashioned care. As both national chains and local bakers vie for a place at the table, one thing is clear: the way we eat—and how it arrives at our door—will never be the same.