Grocery Store Home Delivery—Something’s Missing

Posted by:
Kara Ghiringhelli, Department of Public Health 

Kara is a Nutrition Education Specialist at DPH.

Nowadays, you can purchase most anything online.  Bizarrely enough, you can even purchase weekly groceries without having to step out of the house.   For some reason, I find grocery store home delivery for the average person odd; maybe it is because I view making the trip to the grocery store a normal part of my weekly routine.  Or maybe it is because I like to see what fruits and vegetables are fresh and available that week.  I also like to see what new products are available at the store.  I have a hard time believing that all of the foods that are offered in the grocery store are offered online.  Something seems missing by not making the trip.  Especially if you have kids.  There are many teachable moments for kids at the grocery store.  If you have a child who is picky, a trip to the grocery store can make all the difference in getting your child to try something new.  In fact, those who do their grocery shopping online week after week are more likely to choose foods that they are familiar with and less likely to try new foods. 

This isn’t to say that grocery store home delivery doesn’t have its place.  It is very important and can be vital for those who have a hard time leaving the home, such as the elderly or disabled.  In fact, this was the population that this service was originally geared towards.  But over the past few years, online shopping has become increasingly popular for the average family.  Many families are opting to pay the delivery service charges for the convenience of not having to leave the home to shop for groceries.

What are your feelings about grocery store home delivery for the average family?  If you have received grocery store home delivery in the past, what are the pros and what are the cons you have found to receiving this service?  We’d love to hear from you.

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Comments

[Gracie Lee]

I have used a grocery delivery service since 2005 here in Central Florida. When I first started, I was working from home as a customer service representative and could not leave the computer or phone during the day. Then in the evening, I had my sons to care for. (I'm a single mother.)

Then, in 2007 I became disabled because of illness and my grocery delivery service became more important to me than ever! The company I use GardenGrocer.com has a site that lists everything with pictures and info, and will do special order items for most anything. Although they specialize in vacation rentals and resort hotels, they also have a broad customer base of folks who just don't have time to shop. They purchase everything fresh, package the order so frozen stuff stays frozen, refridgerator stuff is cold, etc. and deliver in a time frame of my choosing. I have yet to have a bad experience with them!!

[Kyle Marshall]

My wife and I have found the grocery delivery service to be an extremely positive experience. It gave us the opportunity to plan our meals out in a much more thoughtful way and reduces our motivation to purchase anything impulsivly. As a result, planning healthy meals and keeping unhealthy things out of our home is easier with online ordering.

I'll also add that we found that the produce was much better on average than what we found in the store, not worse.

All of that being said, we don't use the services much anymore. Our major concern is the environmental consequence of having everyone receive their groceries in this way. As we also try to eat more locally, this isn't an option that we consider that much anymore.

[Marilyn Nelson]

I tried the home delivery once and I did'nt feel the need to continue with the service. Although sometimes when it was cold and wet outside I considered it. As you said, the real population that needs it is the elderly. My Dad lives in the Florida and I am very surprised that they do not provide this service. It would be incredibly convenient- going on line and making sure that he gets the right foods and I can monitor the cost. Currently, I have someone do the shopping for him. It's not the same- I have already spoken to the customer service of the local supermarket and they said they had tried it in the past and it did not work for them...... oh well.