Supermarket shopping online

DonnaP

Hi

I have been running my freezer and store cupboards down in January with the aim of doing a monthly supermarket shop on my husbands pay day (today) for the basics. Fruit, veg, milk, bread and meat will be bought locally at the market and fram shop (I hate the rubbish meat the supermarkets sell).

I have complied a checklist of all basics I might need and have today gone through cupboards to work out the shortfall and plan my shopping list.

I now don't want to go as it is all big stuff for the month and will be exhausting lugging it round, especially if it doesn't fit in one trolley! And it is Friday afternoon and will be busy!

I am now thinking that this monthly shop might be better done online, but I have concerns with this way of shopping and wondered if anyone else had experience of it.

Do you get given fresh stuff that is right near the sell by date? This happened to me when I used the online service a few years back. If that is the case, then it will be a false economy as I will end up throwing things away. When I go to a supermarket, I always get the food from the back, so it lasts longer. I can't see them doing this for me!!

Thanks for any help

Donna

newlywed

I've found it was some and some. The first order delivered was all with good dates and fruit and veg well picked.

Second order was not so good.

Third order, bread was sell by the date they delivered it - I wouldn't have picked it. Same with some of the veg.

I think it depends on the store, how busy they are and who picks it.

However, having given up on online shopping in August, I have ordered one for tomorrow with mostly frozen stuff and meat that will go straight in the freezer. Stuff I don't trust them with, I'll get myself. Still lightened the load for carrying it all home etc though.

Edit: If you are getting bread, milk, veg etc yourself from local shops then surely the rest shouldn't be too bad on dates if its mainly tinned/frozen/dried goods?

IWannabedebtfree

..like newlywed, I've found it is sometimes good, other times not. However I have always found Tesco to be excellent at refunding the cost of items if i ring up to tell them about too close sell by dates or dodgy produce after receiving an order, which is good because I can usually use part of the dodgy item and use things such as bread with a close sell by date straight away or freeze it. Hope this isn't cheeky-I've never complained for the sake of it.Also, over the years I've received LOADS of things which were meant for other customers and been told to keep it free of charge. If I am missing anything, Tesco refund the cost, no quibble. Sorry, think I've strayed from the point!

mikki2d

I had my first order last week and the dates were really good. The offers online were also better than those in store this week. I prefer online because I can't go around picking 'extras' that I don't actually need up.

lil_me

I think it depends who picks the goods for you. I know a few who work at local supermarkets doing this, one irl makes a point of giving products with as long a date as possible, the rest say 'rules are rules' and they are told to use the least fresh first. I tend to get fruit and veg off lady who delivers door to door, bread I make myself now, so tend to not be bothered about shelf life so much.

inkie

What about doing a shop on line for everything other than the perishables and then get the fruit/veg meat etc at a local butcher/fruit shop - ours give me extras due to the relationshio that I have buit up with them?

emay

lil_me wrote:

I think it depends who picks the goods for you.

Totally agree, I was a picker for asda until a few weeks ago and we were always told, give the best dates possible, if you wouldn't buy it yourself you don't put it in an order, but I know a couple of the guys didn't bother just grabbed what was there cause they didn't like picking the chilled items, while others would always get from back.

If you complain to the helpline number though you should get a refund (I asume tesco sainsbury operate near enough the same policies as asda)

pudding06

I found that some of the sell by dates were the delivery date.
But also I couldnt get over the problem of substitutions. I would meal plan to the letter but then when the shopping arrived half of it was missing. and often substitued for inappropraite things. I prefer to go myself now and then I can pick more appropriate substitutes for out of stock items.

pudds

newlywed

pudding06 wrote:

I found that some of the sell by dates were the delivery date.
But also I couldnt get over the problem of substitutions. I would meal plan to the letter but then when the shopping arrived half of it was missing. and often substitued for inappropraite things. I prefer to go myself now and then I can pick more appropriate substitutes for out of stock items.

pudds

I found sainsburys gave quite reasonable substitutions, with regard to the food type. However if something is 3 for 2 then they would pick a different make of a similar item and I'd not get the discount so now I choose don't substitute on a few of the offer things.

TKP_3

I often use Sainsbury's for home shopping. They warn you if an item is nearer use date than you would normally want, and their substitutions are much better than they used to be. I am really pleased with them - although I don't buy fruit and veg, or meat from them. They are fine about sending items back and always refund. They are also very good at refunding any items that don't turn up (it has happened twice to me in about 3 years)
My only complaint is the plastic bags - they give you millions (sometimes 1 bag per item). As I don't use plastic bags (do the bag for life), it really irritates me that they use so many. Anyhoo, I am happy doing shopping this way - it means I buy less, and can refine the list as time goes by (you can go back in and amend your list up until the day before delivery)

DawnW

I did it for 3 weeks, thought it a brilliant idea, as I work FT, and less opportunity to impulse buy. It was fine the first week, really late the second(they promised me a voucher by way of compensation which did not materialise till i complained), and totally rubbish the third. Initially they delivered just half my order, then returned with 'the rest'. They sent me a really badly dented tin of chick peas:eek: really badly damaged tins can be dangerous, and I have thrown it away, leaking shampoo all over everything, a sliced loaf instead of bread flour AND the previous day's paper (Hello, Friday's paper, or at least a bit of it - on Saturday at full price anyone??). This was Sainsburys. I was not pleased, and will be going to Morrisons this Saturday!