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Online grocery shopping

(112 Posts)
annsixty Sun 13-Aug-17 09:54:44

I have reluctantly decided that I must start having my groceries delivered. Most of my other needs are catered for online but I have resisted grocery so far to keep some independence, growing old is a b....r.
Are any of the supermarkets better than others?
Living where I do I will have a wide choice.
Does one tip the delivery man or not?
Do they leave it at the door or provide bags which are paid for?
I hope someone can give me pointers.

GrannieAnnie2 Mon 14-Aug-17 12:26:19

Morrisons all the way! They deliver from warehouses rather than stores, so your goods have not been 'handled' by Jo Public and also they are brilliantly packaged and fresher.

I have found that there are hardly ever any substitutes or items out of stock which seemed to happen with other retailers.

Take time to find your way around the site and make the best use of the offers. You honestly won't look back.

kitnsimon Mon 14-Aug-17 12:12:57

Ocado is by far the best online supermarket. It has a wide choice of excellent produce. Never send substitutions
And you choose a two hour delivery slot to suit yourself.
I have tried Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose and Asda too, none come up to the standard of Ocado.

Outtawork Mon 14-Aug-17 12:11:48

l too prefer online shopping with tesco, l pay £30 for the whole year for midweek deliveries, as there is only me, l share my shopping with a neighbour to meet the £40 limit.

Kacee Mon 14-Aug-17 12:07:06

Wish M&S did home delivery for food.

westieyaya Mon 14-Aug-17 11:52:16

I opt for what I find is the best of both worlds. I shop, Waitrose delivers, so I don't have to carry heavy bags from my car to my flat. With regard to efficient online shopping when I couldn't drive I found Tesco was better than Sainsbury's or Waitrose for fresher produce and less substitutions/ mistakes - though can't stand actual Tesco shopping!

Lupatria Mon 14-Aug-17 11:49:23

i do online supermarket buying once every four weeks [when my state pension gets into my bank account].
i buy from asda and tesco every time - asda sells things that tesco doesn't and vice versa. i also buy from sainsburys now and again.
i find it convenient and their pickers usually pick the things that i would. i don't have substitutions as i don't want them.
i have everything delivered in bags [i recycle these as rubbish bags and we find them useful in all sorts of ways] and we're charged 40p for how ever many bags we have.
the delivery guys deliver to the door and we empty their crates there and then - mr tesco [as i call him] does offer to bring the crates into the kitchen but as i've got grandaughters to help with the putting away it's all piled up in the hall and on the stairs.
i've been shopping this way for several years now and only a couple of times have i had a bad experience. most of the delivery guys are friendly and like to pass the time of day -had all sorts of conversations about all sorts of things!
i HATE supermarket shopping with a passion - if i have to go to one then i'll use one of their shopping buggy things - so being able to shop online is fantastic.
actually today i've got mr sainsburys coming between 1 and 2, mr asda coming between 2 and 3 and mr tesco coming between 3 and 4 ............... and that's most of the shopping done for the next four weeks!
and i think i've got an amazon order coming today as well.
i've got to do a "freezer audit" this week and see what meat and frozen vegetables i've got - i might be having mr iceland coming later in the week. although my daughter and i usually get our meat from aldi - lovely meat they do but not online ......... yet.
unfortunately morrisons is too far from me to deliver and i've never tried waitrose [although they do deliver in my area].
online shopping is the best!!

grandadoscar Mon 14-Aug-17 11:45:18

hi,

waitrose would win out on customer service. not always the cheapest but they do have lots of offers. the online tool does allow you to fiddle around with what you get to take most advantage of offers etc so you can look at the monetary effect (tricky to do in store unless you area real maths wiz). Of course online security applies to any online shopping equally.
Substitutions is something to keep an eye on, with lots of supermarkets you can elect to have them substitute a similar item in if they do not have the item you picked in stock. You may or may not want to do that.
With waitrose I had a couple of instances where an item was not put in a bag, I phone up and they just refunded me back the money. Another issue was when the delivery person was with me and we saw ( I think it was a dozen eggs), some were broken. They agreed to refund me back the cost of these, the driver said you may as well have the rest as they will only get thrown away.
Do make sure you are in when they come . some supermarkets are pretty difficult about this and will not give back money if they cannot deliver to you.

schnackie Mon 14-Aug-17 11:42:25

This has been a most informative thread! I am fortunate to live a 5 min walk from Aldi and do most of my shopping there, but cannot carry heavy bags and live on 2nd floor so have many steps to walk up. I am going to start doing this once a month for heavy/bulky items! Thanks Gransnetters x

mags1234 Mon 14-Aug-17 11:38:55

I'd start with the website u find easiest. Order all your bulky and heavy stuff, if you have storage space u can bulk order toilet rolls, washing powder etc, so u need less deliveries. Then I'd add a small order of meat and fresh fruit etc to see the quality. Add in some long life milk etc, a few frozen foods. And voila, u can see how it goes. You can always pop out for a few fresh items if u enjoy meeting people and selecting things.try it!

Legs55 Mon 14-Aug-17 11:11:47

I use Tesco, started when I couldn't drive (thanks DVLA) as it saved my DD having to come & take me shopping. Useful for a monthly shop of heavy items, I still use it now although I can use my car again. Great for heavy & bulky items like cat litter, cat food, tins, fruit juices etc. I only buy packs of fresh chicken breasts & never fruit & veg. I am lucky that I have a good local shop & he delivers free, their fruit & veg is locally grown & good quality, I can also order meat there. I am lucky that we have butchers & greengrocers who sell locally produced where possible.

I select the cheapest delivery slots, no bags, I have a small kitchen so I meet the driver at the door as I have plenty of hessian bags, it is only a short walk into my kitchen & I can unpack at leisure. I also refuse substitutes, I'd rather be without than get something unsuitable. I find it great as you can keep a track of your spending as you order making it easier to stick to your budget.

Not sure which other supermarkets deliver as I live in a rural area, haven't used Iceland as shop is difficult to get to in my nearest Town, why can't they do on-line where I live? My advice, give it a try, try as many as you can. I hate food shopping grin

AmeliaAshton Mon 14-Aug-17 11:03:05

I use Tesco Asda and Sainsbury's but Asda the most. Occasionally an item is missing but you get refunded. My kitchen is a li g way from my front door and they always take it through. I don't recommend fresh items but tinned packet or frozen or bulky heavy items it's worth that £1 deli dry fee. Why not ease yourself into home delivery gently by doing heavy stuff only and still doing lighter stuff and hunting for bargains in store your self. Then you don't have to worry about getting large heavy items home your self. X

GrandmasueUK Mon 14-Aug-17 11:01:19

I've used Tesco for years, as I don't drive and it's a bus ride or two to the nearest supermarket. I pay the monthly fee and can choose anytime delivery. I found the drivers lovely and helpful. I also sometimes get phone calls from drivers saying that they are early, would I mind having the delivery sooner. Only once was it late and it was by 15 minutes, and I had the phone call to let me know and apologise.

I also had a phone call from Tesco to check my order once, asking if I really wanted 22 leeks. My finger must have stuttered as it should have been 2. They thought they were going to have to put another van out for delivery as the 2 ordinary leeks filled a plastic bag grin.

My son and his family live in Lisbon, fourth floor apartment with NO lift and they have delivery from supermarket. They drink bottled water by the case-load and have a newborn and toddler, so lots of nappies too! They usually have two delivery men but one week I was there there was just the one poor man who came up those stairs four times!

Harris27 Mon 14-Aug-17 11:01:01

Dive used Iceland as there's free delivery over £35 always on time and food really fresh I use it when busy or my chest is bad easy to use and quite reasonable will try tesco now though reading your comments .

Frannytoo Mon 14-Aug-17 10:57:32

We gave up our car a few years ago which made big shopping difficult. One option at our local Waitrose was to book a delivery by phone with their office, then go to the store and chose everything needed, check it out as usual and the it will be delivered to your door. They pack it for you sorting cold, dairy etc. I think there may be a £3 charge.
This is a good interim optim before going on line.
Now I usually do a mammoth shop online about every six weeks with Tesco. I book a delivery slot a few days ahead and then gradually complete my order over several days. This gives me time to check home stocks. It is delivered on time, one unpacks and if anything is not exactly what you wanted (one can make mistakes) the delivery man will take it back and delete it from your bill, it is refunded. I mistakenly order a quarter litre of vanilla essence - enough for ever when I only wanted a small bottle. When ordering online check quantities carefully.

IngeJones Mon 14-Aug-17 10:54:14

TwiceAsNice maybe it depends on your area. I am in London W13. My driver said the rounds are getting longer and it's impossible to complete in the time allowed. They used to be the very best for reliability.

tonibolt Mon 14-Aug-17 10:44:18

I like Waitrose and Ocado. Ocado's website tells you if something is going to be out of stock on your chosen delivery date, which means you have the opportunity to choose the replacement.

Asda I didn't like at all, I found the site very hard work. Tesco substituted or missed things and tended to have quite short use by dates. Sainsburys let me down several times; on one occasion they claimed the van had broken down while out doing the round. I said I would collect from the van and there was a bit of an err.... well... err. In otherwords it just wasn't true. I haven't used them since for home delivery.

Rolande Mon 14-Aug-17 10:43:28

I can't imagine going to do a weekly shop in a supermarket anymore. 7 years ago my husband got ill, I became his full time carer and I couldn't go out much. So grocery shopping on line became the norm for me. I've tried them all and I find that Tesco gives the best service and value for money. I pay yearly for the delivery (can't remember how much) but you can do as many shops you want providing its £40. Their delivery people are friendly and very helpful. Once you start, no going back! Good luck and happy shopping!

TwiceAsNice Mon 14-Aug-17 10:42:56

Strange you say that Inge I find my Ocado drivers are mostly early at the moment.

IngeJones Mon 14-Aug-17 10:40:02

They will usually put it where you ask them to. They won't just leave it on the doorstep as you normally need to sign for it. Sainsbury's and Asda are the worst at having missing things due to stock running out. Ocado is the best in this respect followed by Tesco. Tesco is usually on time these days, but Ocado drivers are being squeezed and often turn up half an hour or so late.

TwiceAsNice Mon 14-Aug-17 10:39:55

I have used Ocado for ages. They are excellent, lovely drivers who bring all the food in bags and put it in the kitchen for me, the bags go back the following week and the 5p charge is refunded, drivers often round up the figure so you get refunded for a couple of extra bags. Have had a few substitutions but they will always take them back and you are refunded immediately. I subscribe to their smart pass so pay £3-99 a month for as many deliveries as I want at any time and you get priority slots at Christmas. They will also deliver to another address, for example a holiday destination. I usually have a weekly order on the same day. There is a minimum £40 order but that is usually my basic shop and some weeks it is more when I buy things you dont need every week such as cleaning products or toiletries. They often have 3 for 2 or buy one get one free , or half price offers. Your bill tells you how much you have saved that week on the offers. They have a favourites list of what I always buy so easy to do that first and then build on extras. Easy site to navigate, app is much better than the website, easy to download onto phone or iPad, it is also easy to buy cards, presents, toys for the grandchildren, household items, etc. I only ever buy occasional items at the supermarket now, love my deliveries. Life is too short for food shopping, also find I impulse spend less on line so keep within my budget.

Belleringer Mon 14-Aug-17 10:39:45

I mostly use Waitrose. It may be a bit more expensive but there are always loads of offers and delivery is free at any time if you spend more than £60 - not difficult if you buy things like cleaning materials and toilet rolls ( and maybe a bottle of wine or two!). The drivers are always friendly and bring the crates into the kitchen. I've never had any problems with sell by dates or quality of fresh food. I did once think I was ordering 3 bananas and actually ordered 3 kilos! One year they had a problem with their computer at Christmas and warned me that my delivery might be late. In the event it was 3 minutes late and came with a bottle of champagne and a £25 voucher!

Faraway43 Mon 14-Aug-17 10:34:39

This has been very helpful, I've been having Asda delivery for over a year but looking to change as the substitutions have got rediculous and often not even close. Ocado sound good maybe give them a try - fingers crossed.

Lupin Mon 14-Aug-17 10:32:59

I have online shopped for years and think it's a great service. My preference is for Ocado where substitutions are minimal and there are some really interesting choices.
They do good fish and meat from online counters as well. Good artisan bread too which is hard to find elsewhere. I prefer their fruit and veg - on a par with M&S.
Have rarely had a problem and if there has been one they refund immediately.
I lived in a house up a lot of steps before and now live in a 1st floor appartment - no lift- and they never quibble. and they are always pleasant and helpful.
I've used most of the online supermarkets and Ocado have the best stock control because they are not open to the public in the normal way.
Good luck with it - I hope you like it.

vonnie52 Mon 14-Aug-17 10:31:42

First time posting here although I enjoy reading the posts. Just a quick tip if you are a first time online shopper at most supermarkets they have money off vouchers. For example on "Hotukdeals" there is a voucher for £18 of your first grocery shop at Sainsbury's on orders over £60. Just enter voucher code AFFVCAUG at the check out. I have not tested this one myself, so can not say it will work 100%. But there are lots of voucher codes on lots of different sites (not just Hotukdeals) and with a little time and effort you can save some money and try all the supermarkets and find the one you like best. Hope this is useful to someone.

margrete Mon 14-Aug-17 10:31:30

Don't worry about it.

To answer your questions, no you don't tip the delivery driver. Just be ready to open the door when you see the van pull up. They haven't a lot of time to spare, but if asked, will bring the crates of goods into the kitchen for you. I stand at the door and - it's never the same person - I say 'straight through to the kitchen and on to the kitchen table, please'. It's all packed separately, for the freezer, for the fridge, the fresh fruit/veg, and then the jars, bottles and cans.

DH resisted it for a long time saying he liked to go and see what there is. Yes, but, it defeated him with all the leg problems over recent months. Now he's gone back to going to Tesco but only for a few bits of fresh fruit or any other oddments. Carrying heavy bags from the car is beyond him.

We use Tesco, but we have used Ocado in the past. You book a delivery slot, they confirm by email and they send a text to say it will be delivered at such-and-scuh time.

I've always hated shopping. I get panicked by crowds of people e.g. supermarkets, motorway services, and online shopping is the best thing since, as they say, sliced bread.