Am I the only person who just can't get into this idea? It just seems to me like at best you'd often get lazy workers just grabbing things haphazardly, and at worst you might get them making a concentrated effort to give you the things that will expire the soonest that they want to get rid of. Not to mention, even if you could guarantee that none of that would be the case, I just don't really like the idea of someone else picking my food for me. What about you guys? Have you tried it?
Err, think beyond yourself for one moment, or a few minutes, hours, days, etc., and understand there are a lot of disable people living out there in the world, who require such a service to be done for him or her. Have you ever tried to think of this fact? Well, I hope you do soon, because maybe you may have to change your mind about grocery delivery one day, when you may no longer be able to drive to the supermarket and get your daily or weekly grocery yourself; or not, it's ultimately up to you to decided if a service is beneficial or not. Then again, all foods one buys at the store, has been handled by another man or woman from who knows where! Just pointing out a fact, that's all.
I am not sure how I feel about someone else picking my groceries for me but I do understand the fact that everyone can not go to the store and get their food. It is not just the disabled people that may have to depend on this type of service but the older generation that do not have family and friends to help them out would also take advantage of this type of service. The current older generation is the largest group of old people the world has ever seen or will ever see and more and more services are being created to service this large group of older people.
No need to be rude, Valiantx. I said nothing about not understanding why such services can quite often be useful or that I don't think they should exist at all- I merely said I don't know if I would personally use them, and inquired as to whether or not others feel the same. Perhaps a little less assuming would be helpful for you; my husband and I both have chronic conditions and I'm very well aware of a number of circumstances that preclude people from having much of a choice. I was also curious about people who DO use these services and whether they've had positive or negative experiences.
With food delivery, you specify the brand and kind you want so the workers fulfilling your orders won't just grab whatever is on sale or priced highest. Also if you got a shipment of soon-to-be-expired groceries, the store would get major flack. Shoppers would probably ask for a full refund. I doubt that is any retailer's policy. I live in a big city and the grocery lines are out of control. On a weekday after work or on a weekend afternoon, the lines can wrap around the store. If I can save money and time by buying certain staples online, I'll do it. I don't have a car and would have to rent one hourly ($8/10 hr) to haul groceries to my apartment. Many online grocery delivery places offer free shipping if you order a certain amount (Usually $30-50, which is what I spend on a regular grocery visit anyway) so once you factor in the convenience charge it's usually reasonably priced. It isn't the right choice for everyone. If you've got a grocery store a few miles away and a car, that's probably a better option for you. Online grocery delivery can help others in different situations. It's the same as delivery food-- you pay a premium for ease and delivery. You can make your own pizza for around $4. You pay $15 to get one delivered. Sometimes you don't want to deal with it and it makes sense.
I would not use this service for several reasons. First, the added charge that I would expect to be pretty significant is not something I can afford. Second, I care about the quality and quantity of what I buy. I don't have my list nailed down so well that I could give it to someone else and be happy with what comes. I really need to see how the produce is looking and check this weeks prices. I might write something like "greens" on my list which means, I go to the produce section and check the current prices and appearance of kale, collard greens, spinach, and bok choy and perhaps a few other things they may have that fit that nutritional category before I decide which one I want to buy.
In the UK nearly all stores offer it and yes there can be issues with expiration dates as you would choose the longest ones possible, but the convenience outweighs the cons. For people without cars or those who are disabled it can be useful so they don't have to rely on others. My friend in Connecticut is depressed and can't get out to the shops and she has no food, there is Peapod, Stop and Shop that offer it and that's all. It's a choice for people, so those bust people can shop online and get it delivered rather than not shop and pick up only what they need as and when. I hope more places offer it as it will help people organi*e and budget their shopping better, knowing how much they have spent and what they have bought.
A number of companies in some cities offer to deliver organic groceries to your doorstep at no cost. They claim that they charge the same prices as the stores. That may sound great but fact is the cost of organic groceries can be really high so even if you don't pay for shipping, these companies still make a killing on whatever they sell you. Whilst talking about convenience, I think one needs to take into account the extra [if any]. Go for what would save you money.
I have never personally tried this but it isn't offered in our town. I know it is offered in many cities around the United States. I'm sure if you have no or limited transportation this could be very helpful. I would also think that this would be great for the elderly and people that have a hard time getting out of the house. I know that up north in the winter it can be horrible and this could help get food to people that wouldn't be able to get it for themselves. We do use a service here that delivers fruits and vegetables from local farms to our home on a weekly basis. I like this service very much and find it quite helpful. Plus I know I am getting the freshest produce I can for my family. Hope this helps!! Danyel
I never had my groceries delivered before. I probably wouldn't use this service unless I am not able to go to the store myself. I would be afraid that they wouldn't remember all of the things I wanted. I'm not saying that they are incompetent, but people may tend to forget things. My neighbors get their groceries delivered and they never have a problem with it.
door to door produce When I was young (1950s) I lived in a small rural town here in Florida. There was a man who lived a few miles out of town and had a 5 acre truck farm. He had an old pick-up that he had made into a rolling produce market. He came by several days a week with fresh produce. My father told me years later that the man had put all of his children through college with his 5 acres and a pick-up truck. The produce was always first quality and cheaper that the grocery store. I believe that store also had delivery.
I was once persuaded by a small company to try out their home delivery service of organic fruit and vegetables. I came across them at a farmer's market. So, thinking that I would be receiving the freshest and best produce in the region, I agreed to have a box delivered to my home. The system was that they would put a selection of seasonally available fruit and vegetables into the box and deliver it once a week. When the box came, I just had to laugh. It was full of potatoes and oranges with a stick of celery and a bunch of bananas on the top. I don't think that the company was very successful. In other words: I prefer to buy all of my groceries myself. I like to pick them up, inspect them, and wherever appropriate, bring down the price.
I have never given this a try, but I do plan on getting my spirits delivered and some additional grocery items for the upcoming holidays. I will occasionally see delivery trucks deliver to people around my area and I have been always putting off experimenting with this service. I would prefer to visit local farm markets to get fresh produce. I can only imagine that I will have a fantastic experience if I stick to ordering non-perishables. I am sure that selections on wines and other spirits are larger than most supermarkets, so I can only expect the best.
