Hacks to using online grocery services

Prior to COVID-19, I enjoyed grocery shopping in-person rather than ordering my groceries online for pick-up or delivery. I especially enjoy grocery shopping in stores like Fresh Market, Wegmans, Publix, Trader Joe’s, etc. When we were living in the South, I would often swing by the grocery store after work to pick up anything we needed. It didn’t take long, there was usually ample parking, and I was home within an hour. However, when we moved to Boston I had to start planning head a little more, as my evening commute didn’t involve a car. By the time we moved again and I was commuting one hour each way to Portland, Maine, every day. Although I had my car, I didn’t have the time to spare when I was almost home. That’s when I started ordering my groceries for pick-up with Peapod, Stop & Shop’s online grocery service. I typically ordered my pantry staples and emergency essentials, while still doing my large shopping trips on weekends in-person for perishables.

When quarantine began and we re-located to South Carolina for a few months, we started using Instacart exclusively. Once we came back to New England, I tried Instacart, but ultimately have settled with Amazon Whole Foods and Stop & Shop Online (Peapod has been discontinued).

Between South Carolina and New England, I’ve used more than a few platforms for online ordering, and find that overall it does save me time. Here are a few tips and tricks to make ordering groceries online work for you!

Favorite: Amazon Whole Foods

Pros:

• The inventory is reliable. Leave it to Amazon to have figured out inventory. If it shows up to order in the app, they have it.
• Same prices as in store, and you have access to the Amazon Prime discounts.
• The products you receive are quality — no mushy berries, yet.
• It’s delivered directly to your door.

Cons:

• You can’t add anything after you checkout.
• Delivery windows are usually wider (2-4 hour blocks) and orders can’t be placed more than 12-24 hours in advance.
• Prices are generally more expensive than a supermarket.
• You can’t communicate directly with your shopper or add any specific notes. Amazon will text you to approve a substitution, but you can’t do anything beyond that.

Cost: No additional charge if you are an Amazon Prime Member. Free delivery for orders over $35.

Overall: It’s reliable and doesn’t require any attention after your order is placed until it arrives at your door.

Recommended: Local Grocery store pick-up

Most likely, there is a grocery chain in your area offering pick-up services right now for little or no charge. In Massachusetts, we’re using Stop & Shop. In South Carolina, my parents are ordering from Lowe’s Foods. In the mid-Atlantic, we’ve used Harris Teeter and Giant. These are good option for pantry staples and known items (things you usually buy in that store). Each chain is doing it a bit differently, so check out your local chain’s specific details, but here are the reviews for Stop & Shop and Lowe’s Foods.

Stop & Shop (Northeast)

Pros:

• Popular, brand name items.
• No mark-up on the products.
• You can add items up to 6 hours prior to your pick-up time.
• You can schedule in advance.

Cons:

• You have to drive to pick it up, but they bring it out to your car and put it directly in your trunk.
• Inventory can vary. However, they will substitute at no additional charge if the item is more expensive.
• You can’t communicate directly with your shopper or add any specific notes. There are some substitution options that it will recommend for you, but it’s limited.

Cost: $2.95 per order

Overall: Great for every day essentials and saves you the time of walking around the store.

Lowe’s Foods (Carolinas)

Pros:

• Popular, brand name items.
• No mark-up on the products.
• The shopper calls to review any out of stock items, and will let you add a few things if you need too before pick-up.
• You can schedule in advance.
• You can add specific notes on items, such as “prefer ripe bananas.”

Cons:

• From the time you choose your pick-up window, you only have 1 hour to complete the order or add additional items.
• You have to drive to pick it up, but they bring it out to your car and put it directly in your trunk.
• Inventory can vary. However, they will substitute at no additional charge if the item is more expensive.

Cost: Free

Overall: Great for everyday essentials and saves you the time of walking around the store.

Hit or Miss: Instacart

We’ve had great success with Instacart in South Carolina. I wasn’t so successful in Massachusetts. A lot depends on the luck of the draw with your shopper. Since they are contractors, some are looking to complete the order as quickly as possible, while others are more focused on customer service. I think the biggest difference in Instacart from the store-based services is the ability to text directly with your shopper as they are fulfilling your order — and that can be a pro OR a con.

Pros:

• Popular, brand name items.
• You can add items until your shopper begins shopping.
• You can communicate directly with your shopper in the app, allowing them to ask any questions or you add anything additional.
• You can schedule in advance.
• You can add specific notes on items, such as “prefer ripe bananas.”
• It’s delivered directly to your door.

Cons:

• Since your shopper can contact you directly, if often requires attention while they are shopping to address any questions.
• Many products have a slight mark-up. Some more significantly than others.
• Shoppers can be fulfilling multiple orders at once, which can lead to longer shopping and delivery times as well as confusion on items.
• Inventory can vary. However, Instacart allows for notes and options to substitute with a specific product.
• Quality can vary. Not everyone notices mushy berries.

Cost: Instacart delivery starts at $3.99 for same-day orders over $35. Fees vary for one-hour deliveries, club store deliveries, and deliveries under $35. Instacart Express is an annual membership for $99, or monthly membership for $9.99. Members receive free delivery on orders over $35. For $10 off your first order, sign-up here.

Overall: Can be quick and convenient but requires more attention and effort than other options.

Local shout out: New England Country Market

In full disclosure, we’ve only done this once, but I was impressed and will definitely be ordering again. It was all farmer’s market quality food at fair prices.

Pros:

• Quality products. Locally sourced.
• Inventory is accurate. I got what I ordered.
• You can schedule in advance.
• It’s delivered directly to your door.

Cons:

• Limited selection. To be fair, it’s not a grocery store.
• The minimum for delivery is pretty high.

Cost: You must have a minimum of $75 in your cart. For free delivery, you must have over $150 in your cart and your delivery address must be within I-495. For $15 off your first order over $100, use coupon code REFPM2XY5DQ8U.

Overall: It’s a great supplement for meat and locally found products to our normal grocery order.