Americans, It Turns Out, Would Rather Visit a Store Than Buy Food Online (bloomberg.com) 111
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: Online grocery sales have surged as much as 200% this year, according to Earnest Research, part of a broader boom in home cooking now that thousands of restaurants are closed. The $840 billion grocery industry has been one of the few bright spots amid a pandemic that has infected about 1.7 million Americans, killed almost 100,000 and crushed the economy. Walmart, Amazon and startup Instacart are all reaping the rewards, and some e-commerce prognosticators say the online grocery industry has finally hit an inflection point promised for decades. But how much of that spending shift will stick is guesswork. It's difficult to predict lasting behavior changes from a fear-fueled surge -- growth peaked more than a month ago. Problems with online food shopping also persist. The operations are expensive to run, and limits on capacity and inventory abound right now with supply chains upended. The shopping experience can be clunky and confusing, especially for older consumers. And one thing the pandemic hasn't changed is that Americans still like to squeeze their cantaloupes and eyeball their rib-eyes.
In the pandemic's early days it seemed as though buying online groceries would become routine -- or at least pick up a sizable number of converts. [...] But even in cities hardest hit by the pandemic, more than 7 in 10 people have continued to visit stores for groceries and other essentials, according to surveys by the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. In states with more relaxed restrictions, the figure is more than 8 in 10. Over one-third of shoppers say they'll decrease their use of web groceries or stop ordering food online altogether when shelter-in-place restrictions ease in their area, according to a survey conducted for Bloomberg by Civic Science. Among those who use online grocery pickup services, only half include produce in their orders primarily due to concerns over quality, according to Field Agent, an industry researcher. Fresh food is the thing that consumers are most likely to buy in physical stores exclusively once the pandemic subsides, according to research from Evercore ISI. Items like bottled water, pet food and other bulky, non-perishable household staples have better prospects online, due to the hassle of lugging them out of stores.
In the pandemic's early days it seemed as though buying online groceries would become routine -- or at least pick up a sizable number of converts. [...] But even in cities hardest hit by the pandemic, more than 7 in 10 people have continued to visit stores for groceries and other essentials, according to surveys by the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. In states with more relaxed restrictions, the figure is more than 8 in 10. Over one-third of shoppers say they'll decrease their use of web groceries or stop ordering food online altogether when shelter-in-place restrictions ease in their area, according to a survey conducted for Bloomberg by Civic Science. Among those who use online grocery pickup services, only half include produce in their orders primarily due to concerns over quality, according to Field Agent, an industry researcher. Fresh food is the thing that consumers are most likely to buy in physical stores exclusively once the pandemic subsides, according to research from Evercore ISI. Items like bottled water, pet food and other bulky, non-perishable household staples have better prospects online, due to the hassle of lugging them out of stores.
Probably not.. (Score:1, Troll)
''t Americans still like to squeeze their cantaloupes and eyeball their rib-eyes.''
The real truth is the pricing deviation found in online shopping. Aside from the costs for delivery, pricing is always of question if you don't pull it from the shelf and assure the cashier is properly applying discounts.
Hasn't anyone noticed how grocery stores have participated in price gouging customers? There is no longer any discounts. Perfect demonstration of robber baron behavior [Ahold].
Re:Probably not.. (Score:5, Informative)
Freshness is a factor, I effectively gave up on perishables when I was using Fresh for just that reason. Fruit grades were very poor and meat quality was just not there. In addition, the cost meat alone was insane compared to a trip to the grocery store.
At the time, I lived in the city and without a vehicle, so I would do the bulk of it through delivery and pick up perishables in store.
I have used delivery only after an accident and I was still careful. Enough friends brought over plenty of perishables that I had an excess.
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It usually came from a localish butcher in the Italian Market in Philly when I got it (I was in the Philly region).
Re:Probably not.. (Score:5, Informative)
We cook every day, and we like to eat good food. Good food requires good ingredients. We were at a friend's house when their grocery delivery arrived. Pink tomatoes, green bananas, and mediocre meat sold on its expiration date. No thanks.
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We cook every day, and we like to eat good food. Good food requires good ingredients. We were at a friend's house when their grocery delivery arrived. Pink tomatoes, green bananas, and mediocre meat sold on its expiration date. No thanks.
Don't you want green bananas so that they ripen at home, rather than start going bad before you can even eat them? And hell, as long as it's not turning i'll buy meat that is on "manager special" (read: at expiration) discount at the store I shop at. I just either immediately freeze or cook it.
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For sure, but what if you want some yellow bananas to eat that day, maybe you were making banana bread and wanted over-ripe bananas. And being at the store means you can determine how good that manager special meat is and if it's worth the discount. The point is the online options simply lack that granularity and will for the foreseeable future.
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We go through so many bananas at home that you have to buy one yellow bunch and one green bunch. If you just buy green, there's none to eat until they ripen in a couple of days.
Once every 4-6 weeks we manage to accumulate enough overripe bananas to make banana bread, they just get chucked into the current freezer zipper bag with overripe bananas.
I see zero percentage in online meat and produce purchasing. I'm highly selective on most of that stuff at the grocery store -- ripeness, size, marbling, cut, it
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Bananas don't ripen on the plant. They will only ripen once picked. I always get them green and let them ripen at home. That way I can get them to the exact "ripeness" I like and once they are at that point I can put them in the fridge to hold them at that point for a few days (the skins will turn black though). Usually I don't bother holding their ripeness (ok basically never) and just eat them once ripe to my liking and them wait for the rest to go mushy for banana bread/muffins.
Re: Probably not.. (Score:2)
I have heard many times that you should never refrigerate bananas.
Anybody know why?
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I was always told it's because they go from green to ripe to rotten very quickly VS just sitting out on the table, I don't know if this is true but maybe?
I like to use over ripe bananas in fruit smoothies, I peel them then break them into like 3rds then freeze them to use when I want them. Some frozen berries and bananas some almond milk and it's off to the races.
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It is actually the opposite of this. Bananas ripen very slowly when refrigerated but the peel does darken which fools you into thinking they are riper than they are.
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It is actually the opposite of this. Bananas ripen very slowly when refrigerated but the peel does darken which fools you into thinking they are riper than they are.
In theory they could ripen quicker in small enclosed space vs in the open. They are ripened commercially at least partially in ethene rooms (old name ethylene which some places still use), those rooms are actually cooler than room temp but warmer than average domestic fridge at around 15C iirc. The fruits produce it as they ripen naturally so if you kept several hands in a small space in theory that could accelerate the ripening process but not sure whether gassed at low temp would end up quicker than speed
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If you need to ripen a banana fast place it in a paper bag with an apple. Alternately you could put a number of bananas in a paper bag to ripen all of them faster. As you stated, it is the ethylene gas that aids in the ripening of bananas (actually many fruits benefit from the same treatment for ripening). I assume if you could get enough ethylene producing goods into your refrigerator with the bananas you could over come the cold effects as well. 8^)
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You don't want to put green bananas in refrigeration as it slows down ripening. It will also darken the skin which makes it look like they are ripe (over ripe) but the flesh is actually still unripened. So as a general rule you never want to refrigerate your bananas but if they are already at a perfect ripeness (for your taste) you can put them in the refrigerator for a few days to hold them from getting over ripe. I never do this though and if they over ripen just use them for bread/muffins.
Re: Probably not.. (Score:3)
....but AC is probably being silly.
Statistically unlikely. Lots of unhealthy people equals lots of unhealthy organs equals lots of unhealthy brains. The less optimal your diet, the fucking crazier you're going to be.As your brain needs to be working correctly in order to realize it's not, it's reasonable to conclude that most people are batshit*.
*As if that wasn't already obvious.
Re:Probably not.. (Score:5, Insightful)
But I most definitely prefer to buy my veggies, meats, etc in person.
So far, I've made it about 3 mos since I last went to my grocery store.
I found that Costco delivers here same day, no fees.and two HUGE orders have largely tided me over, combined with my stocked pantry and deep chest freezer I already had stocked (as a matter of habit) before the virus really hit.
With Costco...their meat is always good, last time I had them bring me a whole NY strip roast that I cut into steaks, portioned off into freezer baggies and put in freezer, I also got about 10lbs ground beef that I portioned too and froze.
So, meat isn't too bad since I consistently get good stuff from Costco.
But last time, I got mushy zucchini and yellow squash...and I've had pickers get less that optimal produce.
If I"m talking grocery store. then I do NOT trust a shopper to pick the best or take the time to look for the best like I would.
Also, when at the grocery store, I don't always have a list....I often will look in the Produce aisle, and SEE what looks the freshest and decide to make something on the spot with what is on sale and/or looks the best.
You can't get that with a shopper online picking stuff.
And if I buy grocery store meat, I need to look at it....is it gristle? Does this particular choice grade piece of beef actually look well marbled enough to maybe be tastier?
I like to cook and I enjoy food....I"d MUCH rather pick my own than trust an online picker which is just wanting to get it done asap and move to the next customer which makes perfect sense for them.
And when I look online, I don't think it ever fully represents what is actually in stock at the store, so, unless I go, I may be missing out on things available that I would like to buy.
Re: Probably not.. (Score:4, Insightful)
Hasn't anyone noticed how grocery stores have participated in price gouging customers? There is no longer any discounts. Perfect demonstration of robber baron behavior.
I don't know where you live; but where I live in the midwest USA, all 3 of the grocery store chains I get delivery from (Walmart, Kroger and Meijer) offer "sale items", and some also apply other automatic discounts, often based on total order amount.
In fact, the first thing they hit you with after logging-into either their websites or Apps is their "weekly sale items".
My biggest gripe about the systems is their weak links to actual in-stock items. I fully understand that there is a delay between when you place an order and when it is "picked"; but it would be really nice if they would re-verify stock availability anytime you edit an order before picking.
But all in all, it's still better than venturing out into PlagueTown!
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''I don't know where you live''
I'm in the Tri-state area. Pre-COVID all the chain and local stores had flyers that were at least 8 pages. Now, I've not seen one with more than two pages. I generally buy from Aldi/Trader Joe's and bottom feed on the national chain's loss leaders. I fill my freezer and cupboards with those. When the mania started my freezer was full of at least a 90 day supply of poultry and beef from those sales.
I understand the supply line excuse for meat products, but the lack of discount
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Lack of sale prices does not show an overconfidence in demand. Quite the opposite. Sales are designed to get people in the store where they will hopefully buy other, non-sale, items. But people are not 'shopping' now, they get in, get what they need, and get out. The stores have zero confidence that having a sale would lead to any increase in revenue (which is the whole point of them), so they don't do it. It isn't some great conspiracy, and it sure as hell isn't 'price gouging'.
Re: Probably not.. (Score:2)
Have you looked at store shelves?!?
Anyone with more than one brain cell can see why the weekly sale flyer is not as robust as it used to be!
Not everything is a conspiracy, Mr. President...
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My biggest gripe about the systems is their weak links to actual in-stock items. I fully understand that there is a delay between when you place an order and when it is "picked"; but it would be really nice if they would re-verify stock availability anytime you edit an order before picking.
I don't know how that could work as they allow placing the order far in advance and the order isn't picked till pickup day and especially right now their stock will vary wildly even if the order was placed the night before.
IME it's more often that they actually do still have the item in the store or they did when the order was picked but it wouldn't let me add it to the order because it was either out of stock or the stock information hadn't yet been updated to reflect it had been restocked at the time I pl
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PlagueTown!
If you live in the Midwest USA, the danger is almost nil. If you're 97 years old or a bubble boy, then you better stay home.
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Well, that's partly it. But online shopping is more expensive, that's a huge reason. What the monied classes like to do doesn't translate down to the average person. These online shoppers may not think they're the monied classes, but if they're buying for the convenience then they clearly have a higher income than those who have to count every penny and stick to a budget. Though I will admit sometimes there are people doing this who can't afford it, I know an unemployed friend who just can't keep his bu
all the online delivery slots were taken (Score:2)
used to be I could get an amazon fresh order delivered the same or next day, now it's weeks. same thing with costco Instacart and other services. most people would order online but the lack of delivery people is the limiting factor
Re:all the online delivery slots were taken (Score:4, Insightful)
.this
I've tried buying non-refrigerated goods from major online sellers like Wal-Mart and Amazon - but they just can't deliver. They are either out-of-stock, in-stock for retail locations only, or have delivery dates weeks out (which also get cancelled). This is even for the direct-to-consumer sales, not relaying via a brick and motor location.
Attempting to use the "local shoppers" that just go to the B-N-M and carry things to you has been equally disappointing: constant out of stocks and lack of delivery workers.
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Where do you live?
My experience with Costco and Instacart has been great.
I've gotten same day delivery, no fees...and almost everything was perfect.
I got some veggies that were a bit old, but aside from that, I got great service....I like that with Costco there are no delivery fees.....and that helps me TIP very high, which I"m happy to do during these times.
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No so fast.... (Score:3, Insightful)
There is a huge mistake being made here and not being dicussed.
#1. Some products were not allowed to be purchased online and FORCED people to go into stores to get them.
#2. Produce is just one of those things you can't rely on "I don't give a shit" workers to choose well for you.
#3. Delivery services are still in 'eat shit' mode and frustrating people with. Don'tcha just love those inane substitutions? I don't want another brands dressing sukka... I wanted that brand or none at all!
#4. Finally what the article is talking about... yea there is still a human element to the shopping in person experience... kinda like the old Friday Night video store experience... but block buster still bit the dirt!
You solve these problems and no one will even care to go into a store for groceries... people are just used to doing things a certain way and getting that to change is just going to take time.
Re:No so fast.... (Score:4, Insightful)
There is also something to be said for simply browsing the aisles.
The search and discover features are absolute shit.
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Stupid Slashdot...
I literally made the same reference in point #4 and the fact that it still did not save things like Blockbuster.
Yet you got mod-up while I delivered factual proof with an example you can read in the news and history and got a mod down. That's how it works around here folks! And folks wonder how in the fuck we got Trump for a leader?
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I don't give a shit about being-down modded... check my history titty-baby
But I do give a shit when hypocrisy is on display and that is exactly my bitch here. I specifically pointed out and history backs it up... that "browsing isles" is not enough to explain that people "prefer" to go into stores instead of ordering online or something yet that is exactly what got upvoted. Additionally, being able to squeeze the produce is also not enough. Do you ask to squeeze the produce when you go to a restaurant be
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Yep, there are loads of problems with Delivery services right now.
But the article is talking about what people prefer. We all know dang good and well people do not prefer to "browse the isles" most of the time. Instead we want to get the shopping done and over with. I have been doing pickup and delivery for groceries for a long time... I absolutely do not miss having walk into the store and deal with the morons blocking access and long lines at checkout.
We go into the stores because it is still a necessi
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"I think you are in the minority, not the other way around."
I don't think so, look at the success of Amazon and the failure of Sears.
Both offered mail order products, but Amazon is clearly offered a superior model. And sure I actively try to avoid ordering from Amazon, but sometimes I do not have a choice... and that is my primary point.
People go to where they feel they do not have a choice... not because that is the preference and the fact that many do so because that is what they are used to is the other
Re: No so fast.... (Score:3)
Sears shut down their catalog sales 16 months before Amazon launched. Consumers didnâ(TM)t pick the Amazon model over the Sears model (arguably they had the same model), there was a significant gap period in how consumers expected to shop.
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I do agree with that point, affordability is definitely a major concern.
But remember... that still just feeds right into my original point... people are doing that because they feel they do not have a choice... not because that is their preference.
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Wal-Mart, Amazon, and Target? Sounds awful. That's where people in the US have to shop, because they can't afford anything else. That's not preference. That's poverty.
Thanks to low availability of some foods like meat we've done some shopping at Target. Their ground beef was surprisingly good but I was disappointed with their skirt steak. Chicken wasn't bad either.
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It's where they have to shop because those are often the only reasonable choices. It's not just about being unable to afford something else. I can afford to shop at Nordstrom's, if they were still open, I can afford to shop at Macy's, and so on. I just do not want to because I do not feel the need to spend more money than I have to. One of these days I will want to retire and then the income will slow to a trickle and I'll be glad I saved instead of spending every chance I had.
I avoid Walmart though bec
#4 nailed it Re:No so fast.... (Score:1)
#4. Finally what the article is talking about... yea there is still a human element to the shopping in person experience... kinda like the old Friday Night video store experience... but block buster still bit the dirt!
THIS.
Grocery stores aren't quite like online video shopping YET. There's no sense of real-time-inventory and "since they are out of my usual choice, show me some substitutes" since you won't know if they are out until the delivery person arrives missing a few items.
Plus, the experience of seeing new items you might like to try or discounted items isn't quite as good as being there in the store, assuming it exists at all in your preferred online shopping platform.
--
It's not just groceries. This is the same
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"It's not just groceries. This is the same reason I usually prefer to go to my nearby big-box electronics store and browse rather than mail-order from the same store's web site."
For me I primarily use big-box like MicroCenter because I can return and resolve in the same day. I have poor patience when it comes to solving a problem and I hate to work on other things while that is going on so I become like a bull in a china shop to get what I want done done.
However, if an online store made this available for
Some mail-order places are easy to do returns (Score:1)
For me I primarily use big-box like MicroCenter because I can return and resolve in the same day. I have poor patience when it comes to solving a problem and I hate to work on other things while that is going on so I become like a bull in a china shop to get what I want done done.
However, if an online store made this available for me... I can definitely say that I might make the chance. The time and expense getting there is part of my consideration... time is money and I value my time more than most and I live to that end. And if that gets disrupted too much I get bent all out of shape.
It's not electronics, but a generation a go a well-known mail-order shoe company had a very liberal, no excuses "if it doesn't fit, return it for a full refund or replacement" policy. I'm not sure if they still do.
I've heard similar stories with other high-profit-margin mail-order specialty stores. They can afford to do this because of their high margins.
Granted, it's not "quite" same-day service because you do have to wait for the mail.
Would this work for you:
* Order online like you do today
* Optional sa
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#3. Delivery services are still in 'eat shit' mode and frustrating people with. Don'tcha just love those inane substitutions? I don't want another brands dressing sukka... I wanted that brand or none at all!
This is a big one. Particularly here in Texas, our very dubious chain "HEB" continues to try to push the store brand on us for many goods, and it's just not good and I don't want it, at any cost.
on that same note, depending again on who you are stuck with
#5. The online website is absolutely terrible an
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Re: Blockbuster. Unlike your dressing, in most cases, there aren't different brands of your favorite movie. This results in confidence that the online version will be as good as the in-store version.
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An additional point would be #5 how much of my time it takes, which is the most important part for me.
I have a few small stores on my way home from work. Getting groceries once a week takes maybe 15 minutes. Buying on-line wouldn't be any faster, especially since I live in an apartment building and would have to be at home when the delivery guy comes, which would basically block an entire day where I would have to stay at home until the delivery has happened.
It's even the other way around for me: Most of my
Overconserned about quality. (Score:2)
America prefers every slice of cheese to be individual wrapped in plastic.
We really do want to pick and choose the food that we want to purchase. Especially around Produce and Meat. I myself am picky in those areas. Because I am trying to plan for my weekly meals. And I want to get produce that will last a week, and meats the correct quanity and quality.
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America prefers every slice of cheese to be individual wrapped in plastic.
We really do want to pick and choose the food that we want to purchase. Especially around Produce and Meat. I myself am picky in those areas. Because I am trying to plan for my weekly meals. And I want to get produce that will last a week, and meats the correct quanity and quality.
There's also the issue of stock levels right now. You never know what a store is going to have which may necessitate on the fly menu adjustments. A picker isn't going to know to do that. And with meat you have size issues as well: if I'm cooking for 2, how do I tell the picker to only get this cut of meat if it is on sale, has the right amount of fat (which may differ from person to person and cut to cut) and only if it is available within a certain weight range and, if one of those criteria is not met,
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"America prefers every slice of cheese to be individual wrapped in plastic."
That kind of "cheese" has to be separated because otherwise it sticks to itself too badly to separate even with a knife. It's not the only kind, either. I buy sliced smoked Gouda, it's cheap at grocery outlet. But it only takes a couple of days off fridge time before the paper isn't enough to peel it apart, the part without the paper sticks.
You have to check produce because so much of it is crap. Meat, too. Because we insist on havi
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It's funny you mentioned that, just the other day, I was remember when I was young and shopping with Mom, and at a very young age I wanted something and she said they didn't have it, that it "wasn't in season"....a learning moment then.
I must admit these days, I forget exactly what is in season, but I try to remember and google it and target my purchase for produce based on what should be in season.
Usually the in se
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I was thinking in my mind the Non-Deli American Cheese, but there is also hard cheeses like cheddar that are individually wrapped, just for the sake we feel it will say fresher that way.
It's not affordable to all (Score:4, Insightful)
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Coupons with Instacart? They're already marking up the retail store price, so what would be the point?
Because online Stores screw up your order (Score:1)
Shipt (Score:2)
I see shipt shoppers at my local grocery store all the time. They really aren't great at their job. "What's a pomegranate? It's like an apple? I'm getting apples. What's a rib roast? I'm getting a pot roast."
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Last time I tried online, I ordered a chub of kosher salami. What did I get instead? A pack of generic hot dogs.
Re: Because online Stores screw up your order (Score:2)
Just click that âoeDo Not Substituteâ checkbox.
Problem solved!
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But then you get nothing, and you don't have the chance to browse for something else instead.
It is all about the margin ... (Score:1)
Around here the margin in the store, overall, is about 3% when you pull it yourself. Conversely that exact same basket when pulled for you has a margin
of about 50% + the delivery/shopper fee ( yes, some charge a delivery fee as percentage of the cost, other charge a shopping fee to cover the employee doing the pulling and some charge both)
Samples: bananas 49 cents/pound in store, 99 cents/pound when ordered. 24 oz store brand loaf of bread 85 cents in the store, $1.85 online
national brand rising c
Not that bad (Score:2)
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Because of bad selection (Score:2)
If I could get what I wanted, online would be great. Instead I have to go to multiple stores and order stuff online. And I still often can't get what I'm looking for.
too many times (Score:2)
Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! (Score:5, Interesting)
People really like going to the grocery store.
What an idiotic statement. The percentage of people who actually like going to the grocery store is vanishingly close to zero. People only go to the grocery store when then think they have to go; such as when the delivery estimate is too far out, or when they don't (or can't) trust the in-store shopper to shop according to the customer's personal tastes. Knowing your customers' tastes is possible, but takes a LONG time to establish such a personal shopping relationship. I used to work in retail in a previous life, and I got to know the preferences of all of the regular customers over time. It got to the point where I had their commonly purchased items ready for them by the time they reached the cash register.
Then there is the matter of the online shopping portal being severely inaccurate, indicating that there is produce in-store when there isn't, and saying there isn't produce in-store when there is. An in-person visit is frequently required anyway.
Then there is the matter of the in-store shopping crew being treated like crap by their managers. My wife saw this happen in-person on one trip, where the online-shopping manager berated the shopping employee for being incompetent just because my wife asked a question about the shopper's choice of substitution items. The in-store shopper was obviously depressed by the store's managerial atmosphere, and it was obvious that this was systemic rather than an isolated incident. It's easy to see how this kind of treatment is going to lead to bad customer service.
When my wife complimented the worker for providing such a useful and appreciated service, THE ENTIRE SHOPPING STAFF within earshot picked their eyes up off the floor and smiled at her as if she had just created a fresh-water Great Lake in the middle of the Sahara desert.
Then there is the store's obvious policy of pushing the oldest inventory out of the door, leading to customers getting rotting produce they would never have bought in person.
Online shopping CAN work, but grocery stores need to be cooperative rather than combative, and their online portals need to be accurate.
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If they don't like it there, why are they standing and looking for so long?
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Surely you meant "If I want pizza, I'll go buy the ingredients myself and make my own pizza".
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Regardless how good I feel my pizza tastes, I still like to get it from Donatos every so often. And when I do, I pick it up myself.
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Free gift for you [imgflip.com].
Re:Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! (Score:5, Insightful)
I would beg to differ with you and many of my friends would too.
There are a LOT of foodies out there, and buying the food is an important part of the whole cooking experience...picking out the best, etc....
I know a lot of people don't, but there are a lot of people that do.
I'm one of them, I miss hitting 2-3 stores on the weekends to look around, pick u the best deals at each store that week and making up recipes and menus in my head based on what I see.
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Not just that, but looking up and down the aisles can trigger you to remember a dish you haven't cooked in a while, or looking at what's freshly arrived, or see something new you want to try.
I don't know if Amazon's "you may also be interested" has ever gotten me to buy anything, but seeing new stuff in the aisles of the grocery store sure has.
I go grocery shopping with a base list (mostly staples), and then see things and say "that, with what I have at home already and one more thing and I've got a nice __
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I think it's important to reiterate just how crap most online food stores are. For some reason they can't seem to build a decent website.
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Then there is the store's obvious policy of pushing the oldest inventory out of the door, leading to customers getting rotting produce they would never have bought in person.
OMG! So much this. In my area, walmart grocery actually delivers on-time and I've been using them once-a-week for months now, I've haven't yet had an order cancelled. But after a few attempts, I've given up ordering any produce. Everytime I've tried, it's been near rotting, or horribly bruised, or absurdly small... Like, no one wants your golf-ball sized oranges...
Still, for prepackaged foods and health products, walmart deliver is pretty great and saves me about an hour a week, then I do a once-every-two-w
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Then there is the store's obvious policy of pushing the oldest inventory out of the door, leading to customers getting rotting produce they would never have bought in person
Online grocery shopping has been a godsend to stores as a way to unload the close-to-expiration, damaged-packaging and other marginal items that consumers wouldn't themselves select if given a choice.
specialists (Score:5, Interesting)
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Maybe it's time for the old specialist stores to shine - butchers and bakers and greengrocers. Move the purchase of toilet paper, dog food and soda online.
Hell, at the heart of the lockdown we had some local restaurants selling raw meats and vegetables, prepared (both uncooked and heat and serve) sides, and dry goods such as toilet paper, paper towels, etc.
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Maybe it's time for the old specialist stores to shine - butchers and bakers and greengrocers. Move the purchase of toilet paper, dog food and soda online.
Came here to say this. Hopefully you get the upvotes.
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I get the nostalgia / foodie factor of these sort of mom & pop specialty stores, but to me it just sounds incredibly inconvenient to drive to five different stores for all the stuff I want. Maybe some people don't mind all that running around. I don't necessarily dislike grocery shopping, but I certainly don't want to do it any more than necessary.
My local QFC has a butcher, deli, bakery, fruit and veggie section, wine & liquor store, Starbucks, pharmacy, some general items, and even a sushi bar a
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Maybe it's time for the old specialist stores to shine - butchers and bakers and greengrocers. Move the purchase of toilet paper, dog food and soda online.
I've been saying this for the last couple of years. All the packaged stuff in cans, bottles, jars, and boxes in the middle of the store, including a lot of the frozen stuff, is all machine-packed by high speed production lines already. Extending the robots all the way through to distribution and delivery seems like the obvious next step. All of that stuff is already somewhat optimized for machine handling because of those production lines, so adding a little more should be a very viable next step.
Applian
It was never a choice (Score:5, Informative)
Of COURSE I'll go back to the physical store - the entire experience of ordering online groceries has been bad.
1) Highly limited slots. Until recently, you had to wait a full two weeks before any slots were available. Sometimes even that wasn't enough, all slots were taken even a full two weeks out - too bad, try again tomorrow. My partner and I had to take to setting up our own accounts and alternating every other week between two different stores.
2) No substitutions! If the exact brand of butter you wanted is out? Fuck you, see you in two weeks. So our every other week order was missing 50% or more of what we ordered. As a result we have been forced to over-order. Instead of ordering one brand of butter, we order two different ones. Maybe we'll get one of them. Or both. Or none.
3) Delays. We've sat there in a parking lot like a couple of assholes for an hour, more than once, because our order wasn't ready when they explicitly told us that it was, in fact, ready to be picked up at the appropirate time. To their credit, sometimes we were informed before we left the house there was a delay, and we adjusted our plans.
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Most online groceries do offer the option. Usually you have ot pick it for the entire order - allow substitutions or disallow substitutions. A few REALLY GOOD ones let you se
Maybe some would (Score:3)
Americans are not all the same.
While SOME would, not all do.
I bet if the headline were âoeBlack people like to shopliftâ, people would howl.
Not to be unclean... but (Score:3)
There are also quite a few people that don't want to do online ordering and pick-up due to more than the data in the article. That's true from different angles (article reasoning and data - perfectly valid and true). The other part is right there in front of your eyes and, oh, wait, NOT (hence the problem)... I'm not speaking for myself but several people I know, family and otherwise: They don't want to do online ordering because the person doing the picking/shopping in the store (employee, whatever) may have rules and practices but the people I'm referring to don't want someone else's hands and other bodily ejections on their groceries.
* NOTE: This was before 'rona, not fear incited by being brought into the world of hypochondriasis by gov't and media. People in their areas are just dirty and nasty and don't give a crap about others; I don't blame them for having a lizard-brain reaction that those employees won't change completely. The people I'm referring to as my sources of this post don't want some employee's snot, unwashed, fecal-infested, spit-into, head-grease-rubbed-on, general bodily fluid (any or all of the just-mentioned things) on the stuff they're buying, virus or no virus. It's just gross. People don't effing change unless their are in a state of panic or win the lottery (I'm limiting here, I know, but it's to make a point, not cover every possibility).
** Note II: Of course people from the factory, all the way through transportation, and at the destination up to stocking the shelves can be part of this, but it's a lot easier to not think about if that person isn't the target of your thoughts regarding the last stage of the hand-off that you see right in front of you.
*** Note III: The people that are sources of hating pick-up groceries I've been talking about REALLY don't like it when the grocery item is produce or anything where the raw item is touched. Yes, washing snot and fecal matter off can be done, but it's just gross to think about. It's off-putting.
I thought I'd mention this because it doesn't seem to be focused on much right now when the eyes and minds are on an invisible RNA-based sicko, not the other Humans that engage in Human behavior. A company saying, "We're safe because we wear masks and gloves and are here to protect YOU" does not mean crap when it comes to Human behavior. That employee is still going to pull their protective gear off and do what they are consciously and unconsciously used to for comfort.... you know, when no one is looking. Sometimes when someone IS looking, depending on who it is. :)
**** Oh, Note IV: I'm one of those kids who played in the dirt and ate it sometimes. Sucked at washing my hands unless they FELT uncomfortable because of how much dirt or grease (etc) was on them. Played outside and picked my nose. To this day, I don't get sick often. Gee, I wonder why.
This insight was brought to you by CORI ... (Score:2)
... Captain Obvious Research Institute.
That's why stores are usually decorated too.
No, wrong conclusion (Score:2)
Americans are stuck at home and not able to go to restaurants, so now they have to shop for more groceries. Burns at ER have gone up too, from cooking accidents, go figure.
Fresh food (Score:2)
I'd like to pick it out myself. I'll pass on the moldy head of broccoli and take the fresh one. Yeah, the safety protocols have pretty much eliminated food that isn't wrapped. But I can still see what I'm getting through the clear plastic.
No, I'd rather not... (Score:1)
My Problem Isn't Quality Control... (Score:2)
My problem isn't my distrust of the shoppers' ability to just the quality of meat or produce. In the few instances where I've received unripened fruit, I simply let it ripen at home. No big deal. I've never had the same "shopper" twice and every person has been great.
My issue is that the apps:
1. Don't reflect current (sale) prices
2. Often build fees into the price of the products PLUS delivery fees PLUS tip. I just want to see the ACTUAL price of something, then have a separate delivery cost for the item (d
Just not possible in NY burbs (Score:1)
Article is bs, about people in hardest hit cities chose to go to the store. I am in a hotspot and wanted to stay home - not go to the store. But it was just not possible since none of the chains near me were able to deliver any longer. They either shut down online ordering or left the site up allowing you to put items in cart without a delivery window.
I just checked Shop Rite's site today, put an item in cart and I still can't set a delivery window
I Do Both; Depends on Products (Score:2)
For certain items like non-perishables, I definitely prefer shopping online. Even perishables like dairy and eggs, as long as they are sealed, I've had success with. But there is no way that I'm going to trust a shopper to pick out avacados for me, for example. My daughter complained about receiving a bag of mouldy oranges recently. Basically if you need to be picky about freshness at all, it's difficult to trust an overworked and underpaid gopher. Having to go through customer support to get these things r
I don't know about everyone else (Score:2)
I am a tech savy guy and would do it if it were not for several items.
* I am frugal. I spend time trying to get the best deal. My time is worth money yes, but if I spend 45 minutes shopping, get exactly what I want, within budget, and have my 2 weeks worth of food, I am good.
* I comparison shop. I don't know what this weeks sales are before I get to the store, I rely on the markings in store to tell me what is on sale. I read the ingredients list (added sugar, too many carbs, etc.) I am diabetic and I
Why is this so hard to understand? (Score:2)
If you choose the food, you pick the freshest, best-looking/feeling item. It creates an incentive for the store to find closer suppliers (farms) who deliver nicer produce. So long-term t
Well (Score:1)
Getting from here to there (Score:2)
Suppose the companies that run grocery stores all realized tomorrow that people only want to shop in person for some things: meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, prepared food, etc. Most of us would be fine with having the dog food and paper towels delivered. Even if they wanted to change their business model, they've got a huge investment in the existing facilities. How do they change without losing that investment?
We all know that the fresh food - the stuff people want to see and select - goes on the perimet
More nonsense (Score:2)
I can't even sign up for Amazon food delivery. I've tried others, but it just sucks and is expensive to get it delivered.
Its not that we Americans like roaming the aisles, its just that the online capabilities aren't convenient and cost effective (yet).
I'm really suprised at how much online ordering (Score:2)
I'm right here in Los Angeles, which has one of the stronger crackdowns, and that has not stopped going to Trader Joe's regularily for groceries. There is a line but it seems hard to believe this is worse than waiting for a delivery and not really much worse than the checkout line you used to stand in. Another problem is that all specialty stores are closed, which I think is very unfair as they were probably less crowded than Trader Joe's. I really am amazed at how more than 0 people prefer to online order
Fragile foods (Score:2)
Many have discussed the problems with buying perishable foods online. But another category that is difficult online is foods that are fragile, things like dry pasta, chips / pretzels, and bakery items. When these are delivered to stores, they are transported on pallets that are stacked in such a way that the foods are protected. When these are sent via FedEx, UPS, or some random third-party delivery service, they get tossed around with other things, and tend to break or become damaged.
Quality of delivery (Score:1)
The quality of delivery itself was a major problem for us. We would order food from a local grocery store, and some items would not be there, some would be substituted, and some would be wrong, and some would be there that we didn't order.
So the data we have here is difficult to use as a baseline, because of shortages and newness of delivery methods being such a strong factor skewing the data.
It's simple: (Score:2)
If you want me to buy food online, I need:
1. No substitutions. I don't want the item I need replaced with something unsuitable, nor do I want it to come short at all. Ensure there is always enough in stock.
2. No charge. It costs me very little to divert from my drive home to pop into the supermarket, so why would I pay through the nose for a delivery fee?
3. Instantaneous delivery slot. I don't want to wait around for two hours after work until my food gets here, then go to bed late on an upset stomach. It p