Current crisis makes a good argument to use delivery or pickup services

[TitanMike]

With the current concerns about mingling with others stay home orders are being issued. One exception is for grocery shopping.

Before the crisis began many food outlets had already started delivery services and also "Order Online, pick up at store" options.

Aside from the obvious not having to expose yourself to others in the store who may or may not be passing on the virus, there is perhaps a hidden benefit.

When ordering online many grocery retailers "pull" the orders from warehouse stock or from stores that are designated as service centers and well stocked for the extra business. Others have employees pulling orders, often from back room stock that hasn't made it to the shelves yet.

I have spoken to many who have used the delivery services (my Son has Safeway deliver groceries every week) and have commented on how good the quality of meats and produce have been.

Also, in this time when shortages are the norm on the shelves, if you are able to order the product online, there is far greater chance you'll get it than if you have to go into the store and forage for yourself.

Yes, not everyone has this option available to them but for those that do, it could be a win-win. Minimal exposure to others and a better chance of getting what you need.

To those who fear contamination of the boxes, etc, Deliveries are packed as boxes within a box. Just unpack the outer box outside or in the garage, not on your dinner table. If non-perishables are in the order, just leave the whole mess "quarantined" for 24 hours which is the max time the virus can survive on cardboard according to the experts.

[BandJCarm]

I just used it for the first time. We ain't leaving the house for a while, thankyouverymuch.


I love it. We used Kroger. The only drawback I see is that the picker is texting as she picks my selections (or the system is) things like "Holly replaced LeSeur Peas". Well I don't know what she replaced them with.


Also we had chosen boneless chicken breasts, some particular package. They didn't have that so the text was "Holly refunded boneless chicken breasts". When she got here, I asked her, and I think (?) they had something I MIGHT have wanted but just not that particular thing.



SO, I wish they'd just call and keep phone open as they shop and let us have real time discussions. Maybe that's impossible, and if so, fine. But it would be nice.


For $10 and a 10% tip, I thought it was awesome given our situation.

[travlinon]

I guess it’s alright to grocery shop online, just not for us. I normally find something that I didn’t plan on buying. I like to look when we shop at Walmart. I use Amazon. Maybe with the $1200.00 bucks I’ll buy a set of tires from Walmart for my camper, Chinese tires.

[BandJCarm]

Originally Posted by travlinon

I guess it’s alright to grocery shop online, just not for us. I normally find something that I didn’t plan on buying. I like to look when we shop at Walmart. I use Amazon. Maybe with the $1200.00 bucks I’ll buy a set of tires from Walmart for my camper, Chinese tires.

I found stuff in the online list that I didn't "know" I needed, also. No different.

I "like" to look too. But I have heart disease and COPD and I've been to Florida, and I'm not going out in public yet, and risk infecting or becoming infected, just for something I like. This is a minor point. It's like "suck it up, buttercup".


I have plenty of food, and income. Many don't have either.

[dblr]

The grocery store we use always have employees out in the main store filling orders, if not for the uniform shirts they wear you would think they are just regular shoppers

[Reverse_snowbird]

We have a Neighborhood WalMart (grocery store) about a mile from home that offers curbside pickup or delivery. We use the curbside pickup. We started using it before the stay at home and like it. Of course, now the selection is limited and the pickup day is a couple of days in the future.
Other stores offer it also, but we haven't used them yet.

I think it is the wave of the future. We've used Amazon for years, but they appear 'broken' at the moment. At least for my deliveries lately. I'm sure eventually everything will get back to normal and we'll be back to buying online from Amazon again.

Actually, it might be 'back to the future'. In the long ago times, grocery stores would deliver.

[Beachbourbon]

Amazon won’t deliver some things until MAY

[rsdata]

Amazon won’t deliver some things until MAY

I have found that long delivery dates are often quoted but the deliveries show up ahead of that time... personal experience here in fly-over territory

I suspect that depends on exactly where you are in this huge country.

I know I am within 200 miles of at least 6 or 7 shipping centers.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by rsdata

I have found that long delivery dates are often quoted but the deliveries show up ahead of that time... personal experience here in fly-over territory

I suspect that depends on exactly where you are in this huge country.

I know I am within 200 miles of at least 6 or 7 shipping centers.

It also depends on where the item is coming from. Some orders leave their country of origin the day after you place your order. In the case of shipments originating in China, and whether they are shipped via international mail or by ship born container, orders can arrive anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months in the future.

[Jfkmk]

Originally Posted by dblr

The grocery store we use always have employees out in the main store filling orders, if not for the uniform shirts they wear you would think they are just regular shoppers

Same in my neck of the woods.

I can see buying groceries on line during times like this, but in general it isn’t for me. While we don’t love grocery shopping, we don’t mind it. Whenever shopping, we always look for things that we might not need for a week or two, but are on sale so we buy it now.

We also like to pick and choose when it comes to veggies and meats. Something you can’t do on-line.

[Oaklevel]

Grocery delivery in our area is not available. (But neither is pizza delivery) The closest Walmart does not yet do on line in store pickup. This winter Kroger just started the on line in store pickup.

It is not offered in our close grocery store and would prefer not to drive 20 plus miles to get groceries. I wish we could get delivered groceries to get groceries to Mom who lives in a cottage in a retirement village. As of now I have to drop them off at the gate. She is 88 and does not drive.

[dblr]

Originally Posted by Jfkmk

Same in my neck of the woods.

I can see buying groceries on line during times like this, but in general it isn’t for me. While we don’t love grocery shopping, we don’t mind it. Whenever shopping, we always look for things that we might not need for a week or two, but are on sale so we buy it now.

We also like to pick and choose when it comes to veggies and meats. Something you can’t do on-line.

Yes we are like you, I always tell the wife we could live off the freezer and pantry for at least a month and sometimes you need to before things go out of date. We tease her and call the pantry her vault, I mean who really needs over 30lbs of pasta

[Mr. Dan]

So my wife 'splained to me that neither of us is healthy enough to fight off this stuff and told me I should go online and order her list of stuff (not an extravagant list). OK... I click that I want to pick up from particular store A... our normal shopping place. It said "no open slots today... how about tomorrow?" OK, tomorrow. "Pick a time" it says. OK, done. It says "you have exactly one hour" to check out. No problem... except item 1 is out of stock. By the time I'd used up half my hour, I only had 5-6 items in my cart for a total of $16.42. It tells me I need to buy $30 dollars worth of stuff to enjoy this privilege. "Out of stock... out of stock... choose something similar."

DW hears me screeching and recommends I try a different grocery chain. OK... wull... I pick the "localest" store and restart my hunt and gather process. It asked if I wanted to shop in the store OR pick up my order all at once. I want to pick it up... so the system switches me from one of the store's signature store collections and sends me to the other line of their stores - the closest of which is 30 miles away.

I quit. Maybe we can make something edible out of a roll of frozen pie crush dough, a sweet potato and a can of whole green beans.

[BandJCarm]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dan

So my wife 'splained to me that neither of us is healthy enough to fight off this stuff and told me I should go online and order her list of stuff (not an extravagant list). OK... I click that I want to pick up from particular store A... our normal shopping place. It said "no open slots today... how about tomorrow?" OK, tomorrow. "Pick a time" it says. OK, done. It says "you have exactly one hour" to check out. No problem... except item 1 is out of stock. By the time I'd used up half my hour, I only had 5-6 items in my cart for a total of $16.42. It tells me I need to buy $30 dollars worth of stuff to enjoy this privilege. "Out of stock... out of stock... choose something similar."

DW hears me screeching and recommends I try a different grocery chain. OK... wull... I pick the "localest" store and restart my hunt and gather process. It asked if I wanted to shop in the store OR pick up my order all at once. I want to pick it up... so the system switches me from one of the store's signature store collections and sends me to the other line of their stores - the closest of which is 30 miles away.

I quit. Maybe we can make something edible out of a roll of frozen pie crush dough, a sweet potato and a can of whole green beans.

You Texans. I swear!!! LOL


Do you have a Kroger? I ordered delivery via Kroger and it gave me a slot 2 days in advance as the nearest date. I chose it, and selected my items.


1 hour before my slot time for delivery, I began to get texts from Kroger. "Holly has replaced item XYZ", meaning a substitution. ONE item said "Holly refunded item ABC", meaning it was out of stock and nothing close. But SHE chose alternatives when necessary. E.G., Kroger peas for LeSeur peas. Ideal? Not 100%, but close. But most items I chose were in stock, and I got them. When it was over, my credit card charge was adjusted down for the reduced price of substituted items, or items not available at all.


And I moved 3 feet to pick them up at the front door. And now we have more food than we can eat in a month.

[Roberte52]

Curb pickup with our local major grocery store HEB is a two week wait!


We just wear latex gloves and stay away from folks. Our HEB grocery stores only let a certain number of shoppers in at a time. Only thing you have to watch out for are the jerks that are in a hurry and try to run you down with shopping carts!

[Roberte52]

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

You Texans. I swear!!! LOL


Do you have a Kroger? I ordered delivery via Kroger and it gave me a slot 2 days in advance as the nearest date. I chose it, and selected my items.


1 hour before my slot time for delivery, I began to get texts from Kroger. "Holly has replaced item XYZ", meaning a substitution. ONE item said "Holly refunded item ABC", meaning it was out of stock and nothing close. But SHE chose alternatives when necessary. E.G., Kroger peas for LeSeur peas. Ideal? Not 100%, but close. But most items I chose were in stock, and I got them. When it was over, my credit card charge was adjusted down for the reduced price of substituted items, or items not available at all.


And I moved 3 feet to pick them up at the front door. And now we have more food than we can eat in a month.

Kroger went out of business in central Texas decades ago!

[Oaklevel]

Wow delivery to your door what next. Will probably never happen here.......

Found out today no one has been tested in this area because there are no tests here..........

[MR.M]

just because you order on-line or have things delivered does not mean you are being safe . the person delivering could have it and now you handle it you got it . how many hands touched the items you just ordered ? how many sneezed , coughed ,etc on it . false since of safe and it fact can be worse then going to the store . you bring it in your home now everybody in house can be exposed

[B and B]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

With the current concerns about mingling with others stay home orders are being issued. One exception is for grocery shopping.

Before the crisis began many food outlets had already started delivery services and also "Order Online, pick up at store" options.

Aside from the obvious not having to expose yourself to others in the store who may or may not be passing on the virus, there is perhaps a hidden benefit.

When ordering online many grocery retailers "pull" the orders from warehouse stock or from stores that are designated as service centers and well stocked for the extra business. Others have employees pulling orders, often from back room stock that hasn't made it to the shelves yet.

I have spoken to many who have used the delivery services (my Son has Safeway deliver groceries every week) and have commented on how good the quality of meats and produce have been.

Also, in this time when shortages are the norm on the shelves, if you are able to order the product online, there is far greater chance you'll get it than if you have to go into the store and forage for yourself.

Yes, not everyone has this option available to them but for those that do, it could be a win-win. Minimal exposure to others and a better chance of getting what you need.

To those who fear contamination of the boxes, etc, Deliveries are packed as boxes within a box. Just unpack the outer box outside or in the garage, not on your dinner table. If non-perishables are in the order, just leave the whole mess "quarantined" for 24 hours which is the max time the virus can survive on cardboard according to the experts.

Up here they do pull the food from store shelves. Shop with a rack cart and pick list around the Walmart. One retailer does do it in the back room but we live in rural area out of delivery areas and do shop at store. I have found the Seniors Only at 7 am is busier with more snow birds that are in voluntary isolation shopping. I head over 15 minutes before closing no one is there, shelfs are stocked and with safety measure gloves and sneeze shields feel safer now. I have a tested son found negative a week later so this hit us hard here.

We are Planking the Curve! (A phrase coined by our Chief Medical Officer of Canada)

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

You Texans. I swear!!! LOL


Do you have a Kroger? I ordered delivery via Kroger and it gave me a slot 2 days in advance as the nearest date. I chose it, and selected my items.


1 hour before my slot time for delivery, I began to get texts from Kroger. "Holly has replaced item XYZ", meaning a substitution. ONE item said "Holly refunded item ABC", meaning it was out of stock and nothing close. But SHE chose alternatives when necessary. E.G., Kroger peas for LeSeur peas. Ideal? Not 100%, but close. But most items I chose were in stock, and I got them. When it was over, my credit card charge was adjusted down for the reduced price of substituted items, or items not available at all.


And I moved 3 feet to pick them up at the front door. And now we have more food than we can eat in a month.

Yes... we have a Kroger within a few tenths of a mile from the other to chains I mentioned. I had to reset my password but I'll give it a look. They predict my load will be ready in 2-3 days.