# So, are you having your groceries delivered yet? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 16, 2019, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233 "2019-03-16T19:37:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/61 "2019-03-18T16:26:36Z")
So-still no recipe suggestions for my unexpected haul? I’m disappointed in the Dope. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/62 "2019-03-18T16:54:16Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > The rise of this industry gives me pause. We bought our house with an eye to retiring. It’s very central and well located for walking uptown, to many venues, banks, groceries etc. But if young people jump into this, in droves those groceries could disappear, much like Home Depot killed all the local hardware stores, etc. It could see a lot of people, who didn’t think it could happen to them, in a food desert situation, where they are left with little choice… But earlier grocery stores used to deliver, you just had to call them on the phone to place an order. I don’t order groceries, but I do use Drizly from time to time, to have booze delivered. It pulls from various local liquor stores throughout the city; it’s convenient because if I’m looking for some hard to find bottle, I can order it from across town; if anything, it’s supporting local stores. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/63 "2019-03-18T17:04:34Z")
I occasionally have my groceries delivered, but I’m more satisfied when I order them online and do in-store pickup. My biggest beef with Instacart and Shipt shoppers is that they rarely honor my wishes with respect to reusable bags. I don’t care if my stuff is unloaded directly onto my entry way, but most delivery shoppers seem to give me MORE plastic bags than if I had not specified in the first place. I don’t know if it’s out of spite or what, but it’s really irritating. When I do pickup, they just leave the items in the cart, bring them out and I can throw them into my reusables in the trunk. Anyway, I love being able to just pick items up - it saves me a good hour and I can just stop on my way from work to get my daughter. It also saves me money because I don’t wind up making impulse buys. In contrast, my husband thinks it’s cheating. Which is odd - he’s from India and had servants for EVERYTHING growing up. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/64 "2019-03-18T17:29:33Z")
I’ve thought about it in moments of hunger and laziness, but ultimately I actually like going to the supermarket. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/65 "2019-03-18T17:45:30Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Good article on the horribleness of Whole Foods customers: > > [Why Whole Foods Is America’s Angriest Store | Observer](https://observer.com/2015/05/americas-angriest-store/) I guess I must just go to the right ones, then. The one you describe seems much more cramped than anything I’ve experienced here. Here, I’ve actually found them quite pleasant to shop at, though I’ve never been to that Wrigleyville location, just the one on Roosevelt in the South Loop and the huge one on Kingsbury in Lincoln Park. That one is downright fun. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/66 "2019-03-18T18:00:53Z")
True story from a DC Whole Foods: there was an unattended cart in the middle of the aisle blocking all traffic. My wife rolled it off to the side so that we could pass with our cart, when a super-entitled yuppie at the other end of the aisle came bolting down the aisle grabbed my wife’s cart and said “how do you like someone moving your cart!?” Whole Foods in DC pulls in ever douche in the city who thinks s/he is the center of the universe. My go to grocery store is the DC-chain Yes! Market in my neighborhood, but it is small and doesn’t have a wide selection. I like it because it came to my neighborhood when a lot of stores wouldn’t. I could see doing my regular shopping there and supplementing it with delivery from Whole Foods. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/67 "2019-03-18T18:22:28Z")
We do the Walmart pickup ourselves fairly frequently. Usually not for fresh produce, or if we do, it’s for stuff that’s relatively the same like limes or a sack of apples, where there’s little difference between all the ones in the bin. But for stuff like laundry detergent, ziploc bags, frozen vegetables, etc… it’s great. We can set up the order, schedule the pickup window within an hour, and then just swing by when it’s convenient (the Walmart is like 650 yards from our house), and they bring it out. It’s actually more convenient, because we aren’t constrained by someone else’s schedule, and the in-store checkout is always a sluggish beatdown. I imagine that’s only true though, because we live so close. If we had to make a special trip, it would become a lot more likely that we’d just go in and shop. Substitutions aren’t that bad- they tell you ahead of time, and you can reject them. What does irk me is when I want ONE specific thing, and throw in a few other items that would be nice to get, and then I find out that my item is not in stock. Then I have to go by and pick up the other crap that I didn’t really want. ---
**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:** [March 18, 2019, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/68 "2019-03-18T18:54:27Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > But earlier grocery stores used to deliver, you just had to call them on the phone to place an order. I don’t order groceries, but I do use Drizly from time to time, to have booze delivered. It pulls from various local liquor stores throughout the city; it’s convenient because if I’m looking for some hard to find bottle, I can order it from across town; if anything, it’s supporting local stores. Old Hudson and Landry routine: [Ajax Liquor Store](https://youtu.be/7MvuMpzYvgI) ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/69 "2019-03-18T19:46:45Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > 1. Excessive use of plastic bags. Seriously, you’ve put, like, 3 items in each bag? The store I order from doesn’t use plastic bags at all. Or any bags. They deliver stuff loose in a crate and just unload the crate on my table. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/70 "2019-03-18T20:11:48Z")
We use Amazon Fresh. There’s a monthly fee of $15, regardless of how often you use it. They pick from Whole Foods and other products in their distribution center. My wife normally shops on her iPad before going to bed, and selects a delivery time between 5-7 am. When we get up the next morning the groceries are in paper bags on the front porch. There are no substitutions, as their inventory is up to date on their site. We have found the convenience great. The closest grocery store is about 15 minutes away. You don’t have to drive, there’s no dragging the cart to the car, loading and unloading at the house. And the front porch is closer to the kitchen than the garage is. We still run by the store for certain specialty items but the bulk of our grocery buying is delivered. ---
**Author:** ![Wallet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e99b99/32.png) [@Wallet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallet)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/71 "2019-03-19T00:52:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by SanVito > 2. Excessive use of plastic bags. Seriously, you’ve put, like, 3 items in each bag? Peapod will take back any plastic bags you might have, and recycle them (at least, that’s what they say). Never had a problem giving them bags from other stores as well. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/72 "2019-03-19T18:46:03Z")
The stuff I like most like sliced meat and salad they don’t deliver, so no. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/73 "2019-03-19T19:26:02Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Picking everything off a shelf, then driving it to your house must cost $10-20. If you’re buying $100 of groceries that isn’t bad. But if you’re buying less that would add up. Not to call you out, but considering the charge based on the cost of what you’re buying is a common mental accounting mistake. $10 on $100 is a 10% cost increase, while $10 on $10 is a 100% increase, but it’s the same $10. The relevant question is how much your time is worth. If it’s worth $10 of your time not to drive to the grocery store and find the things and wait in line, then it’s worth $10, no matter what you’re getting (assuming you would be going to the store to get the things). Obviously, it still makes sense to group deliveries together so you’re not paying lots of fees, and a large grocery order probably takes longer to get off the shelf, so you do save a bit more in both ways if you generally have large orders delivered. We only get shelf-stable things delivered. Either through Amazon or Walmart. Although I should look into the other delivery. With two small children and both of us working, our time is at quite a premium these days. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/74 "2019-03-19T20:18:49Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > The stuff I like most like sliced meat and salad they don’t deliver, so no. Amazon Fresh does. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/75 "2019-03-19T20:19:40Z")
I prefer to do my own grocery shopping. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/76 "2019-03-19T20:31:27Z")
My local store offers it (both delivery and pick-up), and I’ve considered it, and I’ve urged my senior parents to try it, but at the end of the day I think I actually enjoy going to the grocery store. It’s getting popular around here. I think more than for seniors (who enjoy going to the grocery store) it’s really popular for parents. Not even “busy” parents…I think parents would just really, really prefer not to have to drag their kiddos around the store. Kiddos would agree. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/77 "2019-03-19T20:43:22Z")
I have been getting grocery delivery since about 2004/05. I still go to the store because I really like grocery shopping, but sometimes I just don’t have the time. I have used a variety of services. Peapod - they shop out of Stop & Shop here in the Boston metro area, I believe. They are the first service I started using back in aught-4/aught-5 (trying to sound old-timey). Their treatment of my groceries left a lot to be desired. My produce always looked like they’d been instructed to choose the worst specimens they could find. Bread was often mangled. And their drivers were dirty, unkempt and surly. Roche Bros - a local chain. I switched to them when they spun up delivery in 2005/06. An amazing change from Peapod. They made good produce choices for me, cold food was cold, frozen food was frozen and room temp food was room temp. And the drivers didn’t seem to hate their jobs. Their shopping software left a lot to be desired, but it was OK and they eventually upgraded it and it is better now. I’ve used them off and on ever since. Amazon Fresh - I started using them in … 2012? maybe later? I loved the unattended delivery, they did a decent job with choosing and handling food, but their selection wasn’t great and they too frequently couldn’t find something I asked for. Between that and the excessive ice packs and dry ice and packaging I stopped using them. Peapod again - I tried them again in 2016-ish and they’re much improved in service and treatment of my groceries. Wegmans via Instacart - Started using this as soon as it became available. Last year, I think. In general they do a decent job, tho things are “out of stock” frequently enough that I suspect the shoppers are not trying very hard sometimes to locate the requested item. Their shoppers are also either not very careful with or not very knowledgeable about produce because I get some interesting mistakes. Like a parsnip instead of a jicama, or fresh basil instead of sage. The drivers vary widely in how well they temp-control my groceries. The drivers are using their own vehicles, which are less reliable temp-wise than the company trucks used by other services. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/78 "2019-03-19T22:13:35Z")
One advantage of going in person is that sometimes you can score half price fillet steak, like I did today. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/79 "2019-03-19T22:17:57Z")
This thread has inspired me to re-check the availability of grocery delivery. And the answer still is, neither Giant nor Safeway delivers here, a mere 12-minute drive from their stores; nor does Weis, 20 minutes away. Nor does Amazon Fresh deliver here. Instacart will deliver from Giant or Safeway. The impression I get from the mentions they’ve gotten in this thread is that they’re more expensive than the groceries’ own delivery services, and not all that great. And I don’t tend to shop much at Giant or Safeway in the first place. Weis, which is cheaper than all of the above, is right off my way home from work and usually isn’t crowded at that time of day, and the local grocery is five minutes from my house and never has lines. And I mostly enjoy grocery shopping, so I think I’ll keep doing what I’m doing. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233/80 "2019-03-19T23:45:21Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > True story from a DC Whole Foods: there was an unattended cart in the middle of the aisle blocking all traffic. My wife rolled it off to the side so that we could pass with our cart, when a super-entitled yuppie at the other end of the aisle came bolting down the aisle grabbed my wife’s cart and said “how do you like someone moving your cart!?” Whole Foods in DC pulls in ever douche in the city who thinks s/he is the center of the universe. Wow. Well, yes, I see now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-are-you-having-your-groceries-delivered-yet/831233.md?page=5)