Do you get groceries delivered? Would you?

[Colophon]

This thread (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=281309) about milk delivery made me curious about the extent to which supermarkets offer home delivery in other countries. Here in the UK, most big supermarkets offer delivery for a small charge, £5 or so (sometimes waived if you spend over a certain amount IIRC). I get almost all my groceries delivered from Tesco. Both my wife and I work long hours and the delivery charge is a tiny amount to pay for not having to spend an hour or more at the supermarket.

Is this a common thing in America? Elsewhere in Europe? Do you get groceries delivered? If not, could you if you wanted to?

[SciFiSam]

I do, but I am in the UK. Even though I live opposite a Tesco's, it's an Express, so it's handy to get the occasional big shop for really cheap wine and lemonade and stuff (the Express doesn't have the 12p 2l lemonade) or go for special offers at Asda or Sainsbury's.

[sandra_nz]

This is quite common in New Zealand, certainly in Auckland where I used to use it quite a lot.

[Nava]

In Spain as in the UK many supermarket chains offer web-shopping, and I don't remember a supermarket which did not offer delivery; you can take some of the shopping yourself and send the rest. I don't usually take home delivery for groceries, but it's a blessing for my 96yo grandmother; I'm in the process of convincing Mom to use it occasionally but she tends to go shopping every day anyway, so for her buying one brik of milk one day and another the next day isn't anywhere near the PITA it would be for me. Weird thing is, she did convince Grandma to use it.

[DianaG]

My local supermarket offers home delivery, which I imagine is great for the housebound, but probably not worth it for most people. You have to get your order in fairly early for same day delivery, and it's a ten dollar delivery charge (vs. an eight dollar cab ride, for me personally). I also don't like the substitutions they make seemingly at whim, and am not the tiniest bit interested in letting them pick out my meat or produce.

[Noone Special]

Supermarkets in Israel offer both web- or phone-based delivery (you don't have to go into the store at all) and Home delivery of your purchases in your (relatively local) store.

Web delivery is generally free of charge IIRC (I haven't used it in several years); home delivery of self-purchases will cost you $3-7 (it will cost more the less you spend) -- or, sometimes, nothing (some chains, at some times, will comp home deliveries.)

It appears to me that home delivery after shopping is very widely used here, while Web/Phone delivery, not so much. We mostly still want to man-handle the cucumber and test-drive the apples and oranges ourselves.

[sandra_nz]

I also don't like the substitutions they make seemingly at whim, and am not the tiniest bit interested in letting them pick out my meat or produce.

Yes, I've had this issue too - both here in the UK and back in NZ. We're moving house soon to a small village and won't have a supermarket nearby, so I'm thinking of using the supermarket deliveries for the basic things, and using the nearby butcher/greengrocer for fresh ingredients.

I don't mind a different brand of toilet tissue for a week, but getting lamb instead of beef really doesn't work!

[ColdPhoenix]

We get a delivery every week. We check the box that says "no substitutions" for items that we don't want substituted.

[Colophon]

My local supermarket offers home delivery, which I imagine is great for the housebound, but probably not worth it for most people.
A delivery charge of £6 equates to about 20 minutes' pay. I'd spend longer than that just getting to the nearest big supermarket once you take parking into account. It's overwhelmingly worth it for me - I work long hours and don't want to waste my weekends food shopping!

I also don't like the substitutions they make seemingly at whim, and am not the tiniest bit interested in letting them pick out my meat or produce.
They only make substitutions on items that are out of stock, and they are put to one side when the stuff is delivered so that you can choose to either accept them or reject them.

We get maybe 1 substitution on average out of a whole week's shopping, and often it's as simple as a different size pack or a slightly different flavour of a product.

As for letting the store pick out produce, I've never noticed it to be below the standard of what I'd have picked up in store. We don't tend to buy much fresh meat from the supermarket though as we like to support the local butcher.

[TruCelt]

I used it often when Celtling was little, and back when I worked 70+ hours per week. These days I've just fallen out of the habit.

It's a funny thing in the US. There seems to be an overall attitude that grocery delivery is an unforgiveable luxury, something one "should" be doing for oneself. I've never understood that. Ordering groceries online is much easier, I can build and see the list easily, and our local provider (PeaPod) even allows you to choose so many green bananas and so many yellow ones. Also the online list prevents me from making those impulse buys that are so tempting in the store.

I worried at first about someone else choosing my produce, but I found that they have the produce manager doing it, and he's actually better at it than I am. (Saying a lot, as I spent Summers on a family farm once upon a time.)

My only real complaint is that they often don't carry the larger sizes of things. You'd think they'd grok that we'd all use the service once a month for bulk buys if they made them available, but I suppose those are the least profitable items. When they fix that problem, I'll just stop going to stores altogether. ;-)

[Floater]

There are web based services in Sweden, at least in Stockholm, but I am of the same opinion as a chef I know. I want to go to the grocer and pick what I want myself rather than let someone else do it.

[Nava]

I also don't like the substitutions they make seemingly at whim, and am not the tiniest bit interested in letting them pick out my meat or produce.

Quoting this one just because it's the first to mention it...


say what?

If I ordered something and they subbed, I'd be there so fast there would be a sonic boom!

I find it absurd when I get a coupon for a brand of milk which doesn't have lactose-free versions, since all I buy is lactose-free; milk is one of the few products I buy in large enough amounts to justify delivery. Having regular milk brought instead would Not Go Well. I'd never heard of anything like that, it's something which wouldn't even occur to me as something someone might think a good idea. Mistakes in delivery do sometimes happen, but subbing on purpose? Oh mama.

[twickster]

The store I use, you can specify -- either for your whole order or for individual items -- no substitutions; okay to substitute same brand different size; okay to substitute different brand same size.

For the car-free, this is totally worth it, esp. when I order a bunch of heavy, bulky stuff (cat litter, 12-packs of TP, etc.) at once.

[SciFiSam]

I do buy most of my fresh fruit and veg at either the local shop or at the market on a daily basis and only add a few of those items to any grocery delivery, but that still leaves an awful lot of shopping to be delivered: frozen foods, tinned foods, baking goods, toilet rolls, kitchen towels, drinks (big and heavy), cleaning products, etc.

I have the impression that not as many Americans have a local shop that they can easily pop to for fresh veg and/or meat - by local I mean ten minutes' walk maximum (some places in the UK don't have that either, but most do at least a few days a week). If they'd have to go to the supermarket anyway for goods which have a short shelf-life, then I can see it being less worthwhile getting stuff delivered. Plus, of course, car ownership here is somewhat lower.

[Gyrate]

I'm in the UK and don't own a car, but I do actually enjoy grocery shopping (I find it relaxing) so only tend to get things delivered when the house is pretty much devoid of food and there would be way too much to carry home.

I also get a weekly organic fruit and veg delivery, mostly because I tend to forget and we'd be restricted to frozen peas for our greenery otherwise.

[DCnDC]

There are a few different services in the US depending on where you live. In certain cities in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, and in Washington DC there's Peapod (http://www.peapod.com/), which is connected to certain local grocery stores. Safeway and at least some of the companies it owns (like Vons or Randall's) has its own service (http://shop.safeway.com/superstore/default.asp?brandid=1&page=corphome). There are a few online services like Homeland Delivery (http://www.homelanddelivery.com/) or Schwans (http://www.schwans.com/) which are not affiliated with any specific store.

I've never used any of them because I live right across the street from 2 grocery stores that are literally back-to-back, but I could certainly see the benefits of using such a service, especially for the car-less, the time-challenged, or if you live a far distance from the store.

[Ximenean]

I used it for the first time last week, having always been put off by the £5 delivery charge for my modest-sized order (even though that objection is indeed dubious when you factor in petrol and time and inconvenience), and also the concern about picking out produce, particularly fruit. But it was great, well worth it. Very well organised, seemed to be very easy to opt out of substitutions or reject unsatisfactory items (not that I needed to), and the guy was very helpful. I felt bad about not giving him a tip actually, but I didn't have a penny of cash in the house. Oh, and the fact that the online system naturally remembers your favourite items is bound to be useful. And it makes it easy to see all the two-for-one offers, indeed it reminds you if you've missed any offers.
UK dopers, do you tip the delivery person?

[Mama Zappa]

We have access to delivery from Peapod and also (I think) Safeway. We used Peapod for a while and it did help with the lugging - but we still had to go to the grocery store every bit as often - just not for as much stuff. The sales weren't as good as in-store (Peapod is run by Giant), the produce quality often wasn't as good, the selection wasn't as good, and we never knew which items they'd be out of that particular week.

Now, I have just recently subscribed to a produce delivery service - basically each week I get an assortment of comparatively-local veggies and fruit. I enjoy that (and it's forced me to try quite a few new dishes).

[Colophon]

UK dopers, do you tip the delivery person?
Nope, and I don't believe it's expected. The delivery bloke has never done that hanging around looking expectant thing, anyway.

The general consensus on the interwebs (http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=tesco+delivery+should+you+tip&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=) seems to be that you don't tip them.

[MsRobyn]

I'd use a delivery service for some things, but considering how much I enjoy shopping, I doubt I'd use it often enough to make much difference.

[salinqmind]

Heck, no! I enjoy grocery shopping. I also buy in smallish amounts according to whim and what I think we would need for the next couple of days. I don't even know if they would deliver "one chicken breast, a box of chicken rice-a-roni, a head of Boston lettuce, 6 black olives from the olive bar, a cup of walnuts from the bulk foods, a handful of dark chocolates from bulk foods, two oranges, a single bottle of Sam Adams Oatmeal Stout, and a package of Little Debby Pumpkin Bars". The extra expense wouldn't be worth it.... If I needed big hunks of cow, a 5 lb. sack of rice, a gallon of milk, a six pack of Bud light, and sacks of potatoes to feed a big crowd, that would be different, but we just don't roll that way.

[Leaffan]

Maybe I'm just not very observant, but I've never heard of grocery delivery in Canada. I just Googled and found an on-line delivery service (for $12!), but none of the stores I shop at seem to offer delivery.

Anyway, I like grocery shopping. I'd rather buy what's on sale than just go by brand loyalty. And I like to see what's new.

[aruvqan]

I would use it for stuff that is reasonably universal, like dairy [one brand of cheese, milk or butter is reasonably identical to any other as long as the category is the same, like extra sharp cheddar or homogenized whole milk or sweet cream butter unsalted] canned goods, dry goods [dried beans, herbs, noodles, and so on] cleaning supplies, paper goods but never for meat or fruit/veggies. I am very particular about meat and produce. When I have a roomie, or BF that lived with me I had to train them before I trusted them to buy for me. [nothing like getting some totally lean fatless hunk of meat that would be perfect for braising when you are looking for something with lovely marbeling for a quick romp on the grill] I think about the only meats that I would go with a random pick is prepackaged chicken, or frozen fish sticks ...

[One And Only Wanderers]

I don't, purely because I do the weekly shop with my little girl and it's usually enjoyable and helps her to understand that stuff doesn't just magically appear at home.

[Lynn Bodoni]

I think that I'd use delivery for stuff that we get every week, that's canned or branded in some way. For instance, I'd have a weekly order that was something like "Borden 2% Hi Protein milk, one gallon, 5 pounds pounds Russet potatoes, white onions, 1 loaf rye bread, 1 loaf white bread, 5 oranges, 5 bananas, 1 bag frozen green beans (name brand), 1 bag frozen broccoli (store brand), 2 cans cream of mushroom soup (Campbell's), 1 box (size) Bigelow English Teatime tea" etc. For other things, I'd still want to check out the produce and meat selection, and choose what I want. Even if I have a chuck roast on my shopping list, for instance, if I don't like the looks of the chuck roast selection (they all have too much fat in them, or I just don't think they look that fresh), then I'll get something else. So I'd probably go to the store about as often, I just wouldn't buy as much on the personal trips.

[Hello Again]

in NYC we have a delivery-only grocery service (they have all types of grocery and prepared foods, but do not have any retail outlets) called "Fresh Direct." It's quite significantly more expensive than (expensive) NYC grocery stores but it is very, very, convenient. Most of the time, unless someone is deathly ill, it isn't worth the additional expense. And I feel just like Lynn I would rather choose my own meat.

Delivery of all things is much more common in NYC (and maybe other major metros) than elsewhere in the country. I've lived in Michigan (collegetown/semiurban) and Virginia (extremely rural) and no one delivered groceries.

[Sattua]

Yeah, here in the US I wouldn't expect to find it unless I lived in a mega-city. I've certainly never lived anywhere that it's been available.

Not having ever had it, I can imagine a few complaints about it...

1. Not being able to pick out your own meat and produce; not even being able to see the quality of it beforehand (and produce in the US can be dismal... it's important to smell and handle fruit before you buy it)
2. The inconvenience of having to be at home when the delivery is made. I HATE waiting at home for services.
3. Supermarkets just don't want the hassle of keeping updated websites full of every single item they carry
4. Since we all (outside of New York) drive our cars to the grocery anyway, the "how much can I carry home" problem doesn't apply

[TruCelt]

I have always tipped the delivery person, but then they come in and leave the bags on my kitchen counter. It's enormously helpful when my back is bad.

Our service is relly great. All the sales are marked clearly on the internet site, and you can even use your coupons.

[ColdPhoenix]

I have always tipped the delivery person, but then they come in and leave the bags on my kitchen counter. It's enormously helpful when my back is bad.

Our service is relly great. All the sales are marked clearly on the internet site, and you can even use your coupons.

Who do you use? Was the delivery person surprised?

The thought never actually crossed my mind until this thread.

[Moonlitherial]

I have used them in the past and then I moved and the service was unavailable in our new house. They've since expanded their delivery area and I could set it up again but I've fallen out of the habit. Thanks to this reminder I probably will set up my account again. I'm starting to look for timesavings again and this is one where the cost/benefit is easy. I buy my meat once a month at the butcher anyway and I've never had a problem with the produce they selected for me in the past.

My inlaws use a different delivery service for my husbands grandmother. She has resisted all attempts to get her out of her home but she's unable to deal with money (she'll hand a salesperson a wad of cash and tell them to take what she owes out of it), so they order and pay for groceries over the internet and have them delivered to her house. She calls them every day anyway so they know what she wants and needs and this way they never have to worry that she is out of food and afraid to ask for help.

[Flutterby]

I have in the past, a time or two, when Velociraptor was small and we were practically snowed in. Too much hassle to deal with stroller/baby and groceries in the cold and deep snow when I didn't have a car.

For sometimes it was handy, good quality food and easy to do. About the cost of cab fare to get home if I was to go myself (less really, the store who did it was further away). I don't think it really took off here though, they closed it a couple years back. The main downside was I didn't notice a lot of the store brand items, and some things just weren't listed so if I wanted it, I still had to go in.

[Kolga]

Not for all groceries, but I get a weekly delivery from Door to Door Organics (http://www.doortodoororganics.com/) - a box of organic, and mostly locally-grown, veggies every week. Four different sizes, they send you an email the Friday before to tell you what you're getting, you can choose to substitute for things you don't like or skip that week's delivery, you can add stuff in like breads, coffee, honey, hormone-free meat. The prices are not any more than I would pay for organic produce at the store. And there's no delivery charge.

Not available in all areas, sorry :)

[Colophon]

Anyway, I like grocery shopping. I'd rather buy what's on sale than just go by brand loyalty. And I like to see what's new.
You can see what's new, and what's on sale, on the supermarket website, and it's a lot easier to browse for what you want on one site than to trek up and down endless aisles.

[SciFiSam]

Anyway, I like grocery shopping. I'd rather buy what's on sale than just go by brand loyalty. And I like to see what's new.
You can see what's new, and what's on sale, on the supermarket website, and it's a lot easier to browse for what you want on one site than to trek up and down endless aisles.

Yup. The only bit that you get in the store but not at home is the discounted on-its-sell-by-date section.

TBH, the fresh fruit and veg at these supermarkets is all so similar that I wouldn't spend much time selecting it anyway. I don't know about meat or fish - I might be more inclined to check I was buying a really fresh one if I bought those items.

In the other thread, someone else mentioned that their grocery website prices rarely match the instore prices. It sounds like American grocery websites aren't quite as good as the UK's; maybe more people would use them if they were.

Or maybe American grocery stores are pleasanter, since I'm surprised to hear people saying they like grocery shopping!

[Leaffan]

What's not to like? I enjoy cooking, and I enjoy eating. Why wouldn't I like to browse through a store offering thousands of these products? The stores are clean, well lit, and it gets me out of the house for an hour or two!

[Ximenean]

Maybe it just doesn't make economic sense except in very densely-populated regions, as others have said. Even in the UK, ISTR when online supermarket shopping started there were various industry figures saying that it was a licence to lose money. But I guess they've made it work, because those vans are everywhere.

[perfectparanoia]

We live in Canada and I have used Grocery Gateway a couple of times (both when I couldn't walk due to injury).

Each time, they didn't have things I needed and the selection wasn't that great. Also, I don't like putting my produce selection in anyone's hands but my own.

To be honest, since I have to go out for produce anyway, it doesn't take that much more time and effort (IMHO) to get the other things while I am there. (Though I do prepare my list in meticulate detail before I go which speeds things up a lot.)

[SciFiSam]

What's not to like? I enjoy cooking, and I enjoy eating. Why wouldn't I like to browse through a store offering thousands of these products? The stores are clean, well lit, and it gets me out of the house for an hour or two!

Yup, they must definitely not be like ours then. I do kinda like shopping at the market, but not the supermarket.

[SpartanDC]

When you both work, live in a city, love to cook and don't have a car, grocery delivery is a life-saver. We can usually get by on 1-2 small trips to the supermarket per week, but every so often the stars align and you're out of EVERYTHING. That's when we place an order through Peapod.

Honestly, what I hate most about it is the sheer volume of bags that are used for one grocery order. I understand they're just trying to protect the produce and keep meat from touching other items, but it really is ridiculous sometimes how many plastic bags come from a single order.

[amarinth]

I've had organic produce delivered before and that worked well. But it was far too much for one person. I've heard excellent things about Amazon's grocery delivery service - so I might try that someday.

The big problem is that I'm not organized enough for it. I tend to buy products on a whim and rarely have an idea of what I'm eating the next day, much less for the next week. Luckily, going to the store is convenient enough for that not to be an issue.

[maladroit]

I don't use delivery, not sure if it's available in Flint. I like to choose my own produce and meats, though. I'd have control issues there. For boxed and canned goods it sounds great. Would they inspect the carton of eggs to make sure there's not a broken one glued in there? Do they give yoiu credit for unacceptable product?

[lizardling]

Hmm. We have a few delivery places, and I know I've seen Amazon Fresh (anyone used them?) on the road.

But I live across the road from two major grocery (Safeway and a local chain), plus Whole Foods and Trader Joes down the road a piece. I like browsing the grocery to see what looks interesting, so I can't say that I'd order delivery since I try to combine trips as much as possible too. It's unusual that I'd make a solo trip just for groceries.

About the only thing I could think of that I'd use delivery for would be the farmer circles that let you do a group buy and then pick up the goods at a drop point (grah, I'm blanking on what they're really called).

[silenus]

I don't think I'd ever use delivery as an option. I like grocery shopping.

[Mangetout]

I live in the UK and I tried Tesco home delivery for a while, a couple of years back. I hated it, because:

-no matter how clever they make the substitution system, it can't make the sorts of on-the-hoof substitution decisions I might make in store (for example, "Pineapples aren't available, so what else looks nice?"). I always ended up having to follow up my shopping delivery with a trip to the shop to fill in the inevitable gaps.

-I missed out on all the end-date reductions. These are usually a big win for me, as I have a chest freezer in the garage, so when chickens are reduced to silly prices, I'll buy half a dozen.

-I missed out on all the obscure little products that you really can only stumble upon by walking around the store.

-Dammit, *I* know exactly what I want a red pepper, or a banana to look like when I buy them. I can't trust anyone else to make this choice for me.

And anyway, I actually enjoy grocery shopping.

[Mama Zappa]

...
About the only thing I could think of that I'd use delivery for would be the farmer circles that let you do a group buy and then pick up the goods at a drop point (grah, I'm blanking on what they're really called).
CSAs, or Community-Supported Agriculture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community-supported_agriculture).

The delivery service we're using right now isn't a CSA, more like a "vegetable box scheme" as mentioned in the CSA page. As in, we don't just get a percentage of what a particular farm harvests; there's a bit more variety (and we do get some things from further away e.g. bananas).

[Ximenean]

Any supermarket execs reading this - perhaps you should consider an entrance charge? Seems like you're operating leisure facilities without realising it ;)

[psychobunny]

I love Peapod. I hate to shop and I live in a townhouse. I order about once a month. My typical order includes a 24-pack of toilet paper, 2-3 25 lb boxes of cat litter, about 15-20 2-liter bottles of Diet Coke, a 200 ml jug of detergent, several 2 1/2 gallon water jugs, big bags of cat food etc. I figure that going to the store, lugging all of this stuff to the car, and then schlepping it up the stairs to the kitchen would take 2-3 hours and be tough on my back. Instead, I spend the 2-hour window paying bills or watching tv, the delivery person does the schlepping, I save time and it costs me only about $7 (plus the $20 I routinely tip-seriously I think these guys earn it since my groceries take them at least 5-6 trips). Plus, one of the benefits is that they switch the specials on Wednesday, so I check out the specials on Tuesday and order what I want, then go back on Wednesday to pick up any of the second week's specials (they let you hold them for 10 days). As for produce, I hate shopping since I don't know what I'm looking for so I tend to be too picky. They generally do a better job. Also, since the items come directly from the warehouse, I find that a lot of them have later expiration dates than items actually in the store.

[blondebear]

No delivery for me. There are a couple of Safeway stores within walking distance...I can use the exercise!

[Pork Rind]

Hmm. We have a few delivery places, and I know I've seen Amazon Fresh (anyone used them?) on the road.


My wife and I use Amazon for about 90% of our grocery shopping and I couldn't be happier with their service. What really makes it work for us is the unattended delivery. I usually have them come in the 5-6am window so everything's ready when I wake up. Otherwise I try to time it so they arrive just before we return from work.

[missred]

I don't live in a town with grocery delivery, but I'd use it about once a month if I did.

I live in a walk-up apartment. I hate-hate-hate lugging heavy or bulky items up the steps. I have bum knees and a bad back, so it can be a difficult proposition sometimes.

If delivery were available, I'd use it for things like stocking up on canned goods, big packages of TP, soft drinks, flour, laundry soap and other heavy stuff. Do they let you order beer? 'Cause that would definitely be easier than schlepping a 12 pack or case up the steps.

[suranyi]

Maybe I'm just not very observant, but I've never heard of grocery delivery in Canada. I just Googled and found an on-line delivery service (for $12!), but none of the stores I shop at seem to offer delivery.

Anyway, I like grocery shopping. I'd rather buy what's on sale than just go by brand loyalty. And I like to see what's new.

My 80-year-old aunt in Montreal gets her groceries delivered from the local IGA. She can no longer carry anything the slightest bit heavy.

[suranyi]

I don't think I'd ever use delivery as an option. I like grocery shopping.

My wife likes grocery shopping too, but there was a period when she was housebound for medical reasons. Delivery was a godsend then.

[Eva Luna]

Peapod saved my ass when I was on crutches for a year. However, I don't normally shop at the main grocery chains; I find better prices and/or products in Costco, which doesn't deliver, or any number of small local places, particularly meat and produce, and I like a wide variety of random ethnic products that you simply don't find in mainstream grocery stores. Plus I often make grocery choices based on what looks good in the market that day vs. setting out wiht a list and sticking to it.

So no, I wouldn't do delivery on a regular basis, but I can certainly see how it would be very handy for some people. If I didn't have a car or a good grocery within walking distance, or if I wanted to stock up on nonperishables, it might make a lot of sense.

[elfkin477]

It sounds nice, but I can't even begin to imagine what the delivery charges would be here. I don't need to worry about tipping/not tipping for pizzas or Chinese food delivery because no restaurants deliver to my neighborhood, so I assume the equally far away grocery stores - 18 miles rt for the closest ones - would charge an astronomical fee.

[lindsaybluth]

I would definitely do it if, say, Target had something like this. But I don't buy huge items elsewhere, and I shop 2-3x/week. I wouldn't want my produce or meat selected, either. So often I shop the weekly specials; a substitution at the same price point would be fine, but if not, I would be pissed.

I can definitely see its utility in high rise walk ups and for the elderly or disabled. From what I can tell, most elderly Pittsburghers either have family close by or have the money to head to Florida for the winters, so the time they would need the most help, they're away.

It doesn't appear that Pittsburgh has the service widespread, though. Right By Nature, a (mostly) organic and natural foods grocer, delivers to the Hill district and Downtown for $5 with a $35 purchase. Even still, I think you can shop online and pick up your order hours later; I still don't do that. Dunno why.

[Voyager]

Our local Safeway has home delivery, and at least some people use it because I've seen their trucks around. But when we looked at it when they started their website had a relatively limited selection, and at higher prices. It is useful to compare the name brand with a coupon and the store brand. Ours is also very close, and very pleasant.

One useful thing is that before my father-in-law moved, we ordered some stuff for him to be delivered from his local store. But we're not interested for us.

[overlyverbose]

Seeing this thread reminded me that I'd like to try our local Schnucks' home delivery service. The delivery charge is only something like $6, which would easily be offset by having someone else stick to the grocery list (sometimes I go for impulse items). Plus, my husband and I have been struggling to find somewhat reasonably-priced ways to make our lives a little easier.

Yes, it's only grocery shopping, and I actually don't mind it that much, but it'd be nice to have one less thing to worry about. For what it's worth, I'm almost 35 and have two fairly young children; both I and my husband work full time.

[Velma]

I would love home delivery if anyplace around here offered it. I have heard Meijer is considering it, which would be great. Right now I do use their online grocery express service where you have them shop and you just call from the parking lot during a 1 hour time slot you choose, then they bring everything out to the car. You can tell them if you want substitutions or not, and before they bring everything out they list things they subbed (average 1-2 per order) and you can approve or reject them before you pay. They know me now so they are good at subbing things for me, I have never had an issue with produce quality or anything like that.

Only a few stores offer this though, so I actually have to drive further away to get this service. But it sure beats shopping with tired toddlers. I still go in if there are special items I want to pick out myself, I am at the store anyway so I can shop for 5-10 minutes, pick out a few things myself, then have the rest brought to the car. It costs about $6 for this and it is worth every penny to me, I would gladly pay double that to have it brought to my house.

I have thought about using Amazon for more things, but I only have to do a once a month or so trip to Target for home items like detergent and paper towels, so that's not such a big deal.

I really like shopping online in general though, it is a big time saver for me. I get deliveries of something or other at least a few times a month, I buy almost all our clothes that way too. The kids can try on stuff at home, then I just return anything we don't like at a local store. Beats hours of mall shopping with kids who don't want to be there!

[Motorgirl]

Car-free in Boston MA, US, here.

We have most of our groceries delivered.

Every 4-6 weeks we get a big Roche Bros delivery (used to use PeaPod but they had a lot of quality-control issues with cold and frozen items) with all the heavy stuff.

We also have weekly produce deliveries from Boston Organics (mostly locally sourced, with some stuff obviously not local, like bananas, and very little local stuff during the winter for obvious reasons).

Our meat comes from a CSA from a central Mass farm - naturally raised, pastured beef, pork, lamb and poultry - they make their own bacon and sausages too. This isn't delivered directly to my house - they bring the meat into the city on the first Tusday of the month and we all go to pick it up at a central location.

This leaves me with just bread, milk and other odds and ends to pickup throughout the week on my way home from work.

Living car-free in the city is pretty feasible. We've been doing this since we sold our car in 2004.

ETA - thanks for the reminder. I have a "free delivery" coupon to use before the end of the month. Delivery charge is usually $10. Putting in my order now.

[Fiveyearlurker]

in NYC we have a delivery-only grocery service (they have all types of grocery and prepared foods, but do not have any retail outlets) called "Fresh Direct." It's quite significantly more expensive than (expensive) NYC grocery stores but it is very, very, convenient. Most of the time, unless someone is deathly ill, it isn't worth the additional expense. And I feel just like Lynn I would rather choose my own meat.



I moved out of NYC, and Fresh Direct is one of the things I miss most.

[Colophon]

If delivery were available, I'd use it for things like stocking up on canned goods, big packages of TP, soft drinks, flour, laundry soap and other heavy stuff. Do they let you order beer? 'Cause that would definitely be easier than schlepping a 12 pack or case up the steps.
Yes, you can get beer and wine etc delivered - here in the UK anyway. I don't know whether you'd be able to in the US as there seems to be a rather different attitude to alcohol over there.

[Queen Tonya]

No, I don't think it's available here, at least I've never heard of anyone using it or seen any obvious delivery vans in my neighborhood.

I wouldn't take advantage of it anyway. I love scanning the ads and matching coupons to the sales items, it's a huge game to me of how much I can save each week. Often there are sale items in the store not listed in the weekly circular, finding those and finding a coupon to go with them that will get us a new item for 20% of retail? That makes it totally worth going out there to look.

I imagine I'd get into a total rut of always having the same basics on hand and never trying new things if I went with a delivery order.