What You Should Know About Ordering Groceries Online

What You Should Know About Ordering Groceries Online Image via Pixabay.com Not only can time be an issue when you go grocery shopping, but the trip itself can be tiresome. Who actually enjoys going grocery shopping? Even the people waltzing from aisle to aisle in their Grinch pajamas arent dying with excitement to be in a grocery store. Sometimes, the trips can be downright awful. Finding available parking can be tough, especially if you’re at the one grocery store near campus. You know the one. Every college student decides that is the only store in the city and it becomes the designated spot for students to shop. And if parking is bad, then you know the inside of the store is going to be utter chaos. Waiting in line can take thirty minutes at times, even with the addition of self-service checkout stations in many grocery stores. However, if it’s a busy time of the day, even the line for the machines can wind back into the aisles. Don’t get me started on how aggressive people can get while grocery shopping and it happens to be extremely crowded. I’ ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve nearly been mowed down by old ladies whizzing down the spices aisle with their packed carts. Grocery shopping: it’s a dangerous sport. Naturally, when I heard about ordering groceries online, my curiosity was thoroughly piqued. Ordering groceries online is a relatively fast and new way to bring the groceries you need right to your front door, helping you skip the crowds of other grocery shoppers and time restraints. Many grocery stores have implemented this ordering groceries online into one of the services they offer while other companies have made this their specialty. If you’re interested in ordering groceries online, there are several things you should know before you make that first order: 1.  Not every grocery store offers this service. As I mentioned, ordering groceries online is a service that’s still being introduced in many grocery stores. This service is in the testing stage at some place. Stores want to see if this way of getting groceries will prove to be popular or if it’s something that no one will be interested in.  To see if a store offers a way for you to order your groceries online, check out their website and search for an option that will allow you to start adding items to your virtual cart. 2.  You might be paying more money Companies like Instacart, an online grocery-ordering service, offer items from grocery stores at slightly higher prices to help cover the cost of the service. Prices for things like eggs, bread, and cheese might be a little more expensive online. It’s up to you to decide if the increased price is worth the convenience of having your groceries delivered to you. 3.  Some stores offer grocery pickup instead Maybe you’ve noticed those giant, orange parking lots that have started popping up at some Wal-Marts. Those are the pickup areas. Customers can use their Walmart Grocery app to pick out and purchase goods online. After paying online with your credit, debit, or gift card, you’ll select from a list of available pickup times and days. From there, Walmart will notify you when your grocery order has been processed and rounded up by one of their employees. Then, all you have to do is drive into one of the pickup spaces, check in on your app, and an employee will bring your things right out to you. Fun fact: I used this service to pick up two giant bean bags before! It was great!  4. You’ll need to be home if you’re getting groceries delivered to your door This one probably goes without saying but you’ll definitely need to be at home if you ordered groceries online and you’re expecting them to be delivered soon. I list this as a “need to know” item because you should factor this into your decision on whether you want to order groceries online or not. Sometimes, the delivery time will change, according to how fast your delivery person is. If you think you have time to run a quick errand but your delivery person arrives at your house before you’ve finished, it could cause a problem. It’s best to pick a delivery time when you know you’ll have a few hours where you can be at home. 5.  You should tip your delivery person They did a lot of hard work for you! It’s only polite to give them a nice tip. There you have it! Have you decided if online grocery shopping is the thing for you?