# Ordering groceries online from a local store **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 27, 2019, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932 "2019-09-27T23:22:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/21 "2019-09-28T14:39:21Z")
I loathe going into Walmart, but they have a better selection and prices than Target or Publix. We’ll do our big grocery shopping there online and use Target and Publix for incidentals. We’ve run into a couple of situations where they didn’t have what we wanted and either substituted it (you can choose No Substitutions) or just didn’t have it. Of course, we weren’t charged for either the price difference or the missing item. It is convenient and we’ll keep doing it. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/22 "2019-09-28T15:16:42Z")
I’m close enough to the local supermarket where I just go in, but I can see the utility of services like this. Someone I know had a car accident the day they normally go shopping, so they were able to put in an online order and I went and picked it up for them. Much easier for everyone then sending a list. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/23 "2019-09-28T15:48:15Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I’m curious. Some of y’all referred to delivery fees. What do those run on, say, a $70 or $100 grocery order? Is the fee amount prohibitive or is it just a case of not wanting to pay a fee on principle (the “I hate paywalls” mindset)? In my case, the $$ value of sticking to the list far outweighs any fee. > > As I said in the OP, my store doesn’t charge a delivery fee if you don’t want the order delivered the same day. Which is really nice. I believe Instacart charges only $3.99 for delivery on orders of at least $35.00, but there are a couple of other small service fees in addition. But if you figure if you own a car, you’re paying for gas, insurance, and maintenance, anyway, it’s a small price to pay. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/24 "2019-09-28T17:38:50Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I believe Instacart charges only $3.99 for delivery on orders of at least $35.00, but there are a couple of other small service fees in addition. But if you figure if you own a car, you’re paying for gas, insurance, and maintenance, anyway, it’s a small price to pay. Not to mention the extra stuff that you pick up that’s not on your list. I got my first delivery today, and when I asked the guy if he had snuck a big bag of M&Ms into my order, he said no. Rats. 😛 And the whole store is full of Halloween candy! ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cdc98d/32.png) [@Peter\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_A)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/25 "2019-09-28T17:59:45Z")
Well, I get my shopping online too. Normally I’ll just go to my local Lidl. Sainsbury’s charges like £3 for a little salad tub. All that is in it is this starchy stuff, chunks of feta, and chillis. It’s like £2.50 and yeah, it’s tasty, but it’s overpriced. But everything is so expensive in there that I can see why people prefer Lidl. I’m not a big fan of some of the products in Lidl, but it’s still good quality. The same with Aldi. It almost costs you double in other shops. I also get DVDs on Amazon, because I have this anxiety issue where I honestly cannot talk to people without getting an attack. The other day, my mother and I went to get storage boxes and we didn’t realize it was a 3 for 2 deal, and we ended up paying for them separately, as we walked back in without a receipt. The check-out person denied not giving me a receipt, and I was embarrassed. I needed the boxes to store my DVDs in, as I’ve gotten so many of them. The manager never refunded me first. I think the only place in Edinburgh that has loads of DVDs now, is Fopp. There used to be a HMV store in multiple venues, but now HMV is just an online shop. Woolworth’s is too. People wanted these stores to make a return, but I doubt they will. It’s all due to eBay and Amazon putting them out of business in the digital age. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/26 "2019-09-28T19:42:13Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > In the olden days, grocery delivery was common… heck, delivery of lots of goods was common. UPS got its start in Seattle as a service for shoppers who’d taken a trolley car to downtown and didn’t want to struggle with a bunch of bags/cartons on the way back home. The company still uses the nomenclature “package car” for those big, brown trucks. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/27 "2019-09-28T20:07:46Z")
I can see using one of these services for packaged foods, frozen foods and non-food items. But how well does it work for stuff you have to choose, like fruits, vegetables and meat? I can be very particular what sort of apple or peach I want. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/28 "2019-09-28T20:33:36Z")
I started getting grocery delivery when I lived in China. Because I lived in a “tier 2” city, I couldn’t always get all of the high-quality western stuff that I could have gotten in a “tier 1” city. Luckily the nearby tier 1 city had several high-quality stores that had regular delivery schedules to my city. Order online, and they’d show up with the goods. It was a lifesaver. Oh, and Amazon in China delivers booze; that’s nice, too. Now that I’m back home, I’ve done delivery from Costco a couple of times because it’s “free” and I was in a pinch, but the per item pricing is not Costco’s pricing, so it’s considerably more expensive. I’ve also done pickup from Meijer a few times now. The only downside is they’ve only got one employee, so if they’re loading someone else up, you’re still stuck waiting to be loaded up yourself. Also, their time-slow availability to too few and far between. I think they need to master employee availability and peak times, because it completely defeats the purpose if I can’t order at 12:00 pm and count on a 4:30 pm pickup being available, any time I want it. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/29 "2019-09-28T20:55:13Z")
> [@glee](#): > > I live in England and get my groceries delivered weekly by the supermarket chain Tesco. > > I pick an hour slot on a particular day, and they have always turned up in that time (except once when they were 15 minutes late - and they contacted me to let me know that. 🆒) > > The drivers bring my goods in and help me unpack (I’m a pensioner.) 🙂 > > Because the groceries come from a regional hub, there is a huge choice (much better than a single supermarket.) I feel stupid for asking, but is a pensioner like a senior citizen? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/30 "2019-09-28T21:13:22Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I depend on delivery (disabled). It’s occasionally frustrating when the search tool isn’t indexed the way I expect, {…} Everything I search Peapod for also is a pet food flavor. CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/31 "2019-09-28T21:46:13Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > I feel stupid for asking, but is a pensioner like a senior citizen? Yep. Literally “someone on a pension.” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/32 "2019-09-28T22:16:21Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I’m curious. Some of y’all referred to delivery fees. What do those run on, say, a $70 or $100 grocery order? Is the fee amount prohibitive or is it just a case of not wanting to pay a fee on principle (the “I hate paywalls” mindset)? In my case, the $$ value of sticking to the list far outweighs any fee. > > As I said in the OP, my store doesn’t charge a delivery fee if you don’t want the order delivered the same day. Which is really nice. Walmart is $9.95 for same day and $7.95 for next day. Orders have to be over $35 to qualify. Walmart is also starting a $95 annual fee for unlimited delivery orders. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/33 "2019-09-28T22:50:59Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I’m curious. Some of y’all referred to delivery fees. What do those run on, say, a $70 or $100 grocery order? Peapod uses a flat rate, something like 8 bucks, but requires a $60 purchase; they also offer discounts of anywhere between $2 - $5 depending on the time & day selected. Sometimes they’ll tack on a fuel surcharge. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/34 "2019-09-28T22:57:18Z")
I think that home delivery from at least one of the big retailers (Tesco, Sainsbury’s Waitrose/Ocado, Morrisons) is available all over the UK mainland. Delivery is sometimes free but if you want it next-day, or on a weekend, there is usually a charge (£3.50 - £7.00) in my area. I do the weekly shop myself on a Friday and the pickers, with their oversized trolleys, are a pain in the proverbial. It is commonly thought that they will not choose the best fruit or the longer dates, but from my own observation that is not generally true. I know several pensioners who make use of the service and they are pretty happy with it. When I was a lad, my mother would phone the tradesmen and place her weekly orders: the butcher, the grocer, the baker and the greengrocer would all deliver, usually with a boy on a bike with a big basket over the front wheel. Milk, cream and eggs were delivered daily to the doorstep. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/35 "2019-09-28T23:07:35Z")
Peapod in central NJ, > [@](#): > > DELIVERY > Order Size Fee\* > $100.00 and up $6.95 > $60.00 to $9.95 > Minimum Order Size: $60.00 > Delivery fee does not include the fuel surcharge. This week’s surcharge is $0.25. > > \*Additional charges and applicable sales tax may apply in certain areas. > > PICK-UP > Order Size Fee\* > All Orders $2.95 > Minimum Order Size: $60.00 For $120 a year, unlimited deliveries and $6.95 credit on all orders. CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/36 "2019-09-28T23:19:48Z")
I’m in a roughly remote California village. Nearest Walmart is 35 minutes away on twisty mountain roads. I’m on a forested, rutted gravel track. No retailers deliver here. No drones approach. GPS sends victims on fantasy routes. DeFex (I mean FedEx) and UPS drivers get lost. USPS doesn’t even try. At least trash and propane trucks can find us. Home delivery? That’s a First World problem to me. It might creep closer in upcoming decades. Autonomous pack-mules should reduce costs. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/37 "2019-09-28T23:22:25Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > I think that home delivery from at least one of the big retailers (Tesco, Sainsbury’s Waitrose/Ocado, Morrisons) is available all over the UK mainland. Delivery is sometimes free but if you want it next-day, or on a weekend, there is usually a charge (£3.50 - £7.00) in my area. Add Asda and Iceland to your list of supermarkets that do deliveries in the UK. I usually use Tesco, and their delivery charges in my area are a bit cheaper than in yours, but there’s definitely a premium for early-evening during the week and for weekend deliveries. They deliver until 11pm though, so I usually just book a late slot. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2019, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/38 "2019-09-29T03:27:43Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > I’ve been making more use of Walmart’s pickup option while coping with a temporarily disabled DH. I blame the fact that I’m tired, and have been following baseball scores tonight – I’ve read this several times, and the only definition of “DH” I can think of is “designated hitter.” I’m pretty darned sure it’s not the right definition in this case, so I really want to know what it means here! ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2019, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932/39 "2019-09-29T03:58:14Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I blame the fact that I’m tired, and have been following baseball scores tonight – I’ve read this several times, and the only definition of “DH” I can think of is “designated hitter.” I’m pretty darned sure it’s not the right definition in this case, so I really want to know what it means here! The H means Husband. D can be whatever adjective starting with that letter fits at the time, from Darling to Damn and so on. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordering-groceries-online-from-a-local-store/840932.md?page=1)