I live in a small rural area and it seems that there aren't many options for me to be able to do my grocery shopping online, which I would absolutely love to do. Do many of you shop online for groceries? What sites do you use? Are you in a rural or city, does that make a huge difference in what is available to you? One of my friends talks about all the deals she gets and how she can get a basketful of a variety of fruits and vegetables delivered to her door for a fraction of the cost of what I pay in my local stores. I am so envious of the ease and comfort that she has being able to grocery shop from home. I know that I would be much more frugal and probably save money by shopping from the comfort of my own home as well. I would be much more apt to only buy what I needed instead of just filling my cart in order to get out of the store more quickly. What have your experiences been with online grocery shopping compared to the regular brick and mortar stores?
For me it's a mixed bag. It's certainly very convenient to have all your heavy goods brought to the door but I prefer to select my own perishable goods. I like to see the meat, fruit and veg before I buy it and I also like to get sell-by dates which are as far away as possible. Also, I actually quite enjoy visiting the supermarket and looking at all the different things they have on sale.
There is a supermarket here that experimented on that - online shopping and delivered to your door. I had no plans for that at the time because my habit is to wait for feedback. No friends of mine had experienced that so I asked the attendant of the supermarket. They had stopped that scheme because of the errors - most of the orders were not the exact items delivered so you can expect lots of complaints. Besides, the supermarket is losing in terms of profit in that online shopping scheme.
I like being able to go to the store myself as well. It's a good excuse to get out the house as well as get off my butt. I too like seeing the sell by dates, inspecting the food for myself for soft spots, whether or not the fruit is hard or over ripe, ect. Im also picky about brands because not all brands taste the same. I don't care how cheap something is, if it is nasty I won't buy it. Rather than waste the delivery person's time for picking up a nasty brand of something, I'd rather just do it myself to save me the hassle.
We don't have it here but I know there is a supermarket or two in the central business district that offers it. I don't know if I'd be too fond of it, personally, as I actually like browsing the grocery stores, but I admit sometimes I'm too lazy and just want a few items quickly and in those times I am definitely envious of those that have access to grocery delivery services. We have a smaller one nearby which delivers smaller items but the selection isn't too wide.
Having the choice is nice, but if you live in a rural area you are still limited with what the local stores decide to stock. Online shopping is just a convenience for those who are house bound, too busy, or don't have vehicle access. In the US some stores offer it, but the systems aren't always reliable. I like to go shopping, especially as I like to look at what is new, as online not all products are listed like generic brands. Online shopping is good for bulky and heavy items to me.
When I lived in England, I used to LOVE having my groceries delivered to the door. Because it used to rain a lot with blustery winds, and we didn't drive, sometimes it was just easier to get the shopping delivered to our door. We used to alternate between stores because some were better than others, and the more expensive the better the perishable goods. The frustrating thing was that sometimes they didn't have in the depot from which they delivered shopping, some of the stuff we needed! Sadly, I don't have this option where I now live. Botswana is still at least a decade behind the times. Sometimes when the sun is intense, I wish I could have my shopping home delivered
I never shop for groceries online. Yes there are some items that would be cheaper if bought online but since a number of them are perishables, I'd have to buy only what I could use before they spoil. That would mean paying shipping fees each time I buy any groceries online. So since it would turn out to be more expensive, I'd rather pay a little more and buy what I need from a local store.
Having tried it several times out of necessity and bearing in mind that shopping online is generally the most cost effective way for me to shop for most things - as I live in a very remote area quite a considerable distance from any stores - I have to say that my online grocery shopping experiences didn't quite work out that way. In fact they turned out to be quite the opposite and a whole lot of hassle too - as not only were all the items I ordered marked up from the regular store price and the delivery fees so extortionate that when added together - amounted to more than the cost of the fuel I would have used had I driven to the store - but I never got exactly what I ordered either - as even though the items I ordered were in stock at the time of ordering - I always landed up being sent substitutes for items I didn't want substitutes for - many of which I wouldn't even have ever considered buying - fortunately I never ordered any fresh produce - as I dread to think what I might have been sent had I done. Which is why - although the whole experience may well be better for others - I much prefer to do all my grocery shopping at brick and mortar stores - regardless of how far I have to drive or how busy I am.
