Online Grocery Shopping  Improved Since Beginning of Pandemic

In April 2020, I wrote a post about my struggles with online grocery shopping. How I was  mostly having problems with product availability. This was the very beginning of the pandemic where many people were jumping onboard the online grocery shopping train. Here’s the issue. I  was pushed out.

See, I had already been riding that train for a year or two. When this option was introduced in my community I  signed up. Things were going great. I was getting all my items with a few substitutes. The drivers were friendly and on time. The prices were reasonable. It was wonderful! Then COVID struck and it all went to pot!

Now 3 years later I am back on top again. I am back riding  the train with ease and comfort. Just happily chugging along. Since my last post was a little negative, now is a good time to circle back around and give an update. Things have much improved since the beginning of the pandemic and here’s why.

Online Shopping is the New Normal

We have all adjusted to online shopping. During the pandemic  we couldn’t go  into stores without  a whole lot of drama. We had to wear a mask. We wore  latex gloves. We had to keep 6 feet apart. We were sanitizing our groceries. Remember that? We were stressed, scared and confused.

Stores were struggling to adjust to the large demand for paper towels and toilet tissue. If you did venture into a store the shelves were bare. Or almost bare. It was rough.  Today, stores and customers have adapted to change. People go into grocery stores  and can order online too. Things have much improved. Well, at least for me and where I live.

Improved Accessibility

There’s better accessibility and sensitivity to the disabled now. Before the pandemic online shopping apps and websites were okay. However, it depended on your technology skills  and the store you shopped at. I had to do some troubleshooting but it was not awful. However, today it is even better.

The one grocery store chain I do all my online shopping with  has made a true commitment  to be accessible. I have had numerous chats with their accessibility team, both through email and phone. The response has been very positive and they have appreciated my feedback.

Food Available and No Third Party Vendor

I can order my groceries and get them the next day. The majority of the time they have my items in stock and if not the substitutes  are not too bad. My groceries are delivered by a store employee not a third party vendor.

Let me pause and speak about this. Some grocery stores  have working arrangements with third party  vendors to do the actual delivery. My experience  with this arrangement has not been completely positive. There were times I didn’t get my groceries at all because no drivers were free to bring them. Or when the driver came to my home they would leave them outside pushed up against my front door. I didn’t request this type of delivery  but they would do it anyway.

No Service Fee Or Tips Required

Next, they would push hard for a tip. The app would automatically  apply it even when I declined. Now let me explain. I don’t have problems with tipping but would rather do it after my groceries have arrived. I want to be sure my delivery experience is good first. My current  store doesn’t do tipping because all drivers  are company employees. They also don’t charge service fees. I pay an annual subscription which covers  all delivery charges. This subscription fee was much lower than my previous store  that provided less than stellar service.

Convenient Delivery Dates and Times

Also, the time slots are much better. They are more convenient. During the pandemic I was hard pressed to get a time slot for delivery. One store I shopped at was so bad they strongly encouraged you  to select your delivery time first before shopping. This was a way to better ensure availability. Now, that has improved. I can pretty much get  the dates and times I want. NO major problems except  during a national holiday like 4^th of July, Memorial Day, Easter  or Thanksgiving. This is understandable because everyone is shopping for  this one particular event and are preparing their favorite dishes to celebrate.

I strongly believe online grocery shopping is here to stay. The pandemic showed us a new way. Much like remote, work from home jobs, people are making changes and doing things differently. Online shopping was great for me before the pandemic. It is great now. I will stay on board and keep riding this train.