Is Amazon Subscribe & Save competitive for groceries compared to supermarkets?

ChukkleOdeon

I ask as I was intrigued to see, checking out the prices of a staple that I would be likely to use it for, in this case, tinned chopped tomatoes - the prices of 400g tins didn't seem to compare favourably to the supermarkets.

The only saving appeared to be on ordering 6 x 2.5kg tins, which isn't suitable unless you're fond of cooking massive amounts of tomato-based recipes for a large family and have the space to store the wholesale-sized tins.

I would lean towards using the service if I could find five grocery items that I would be happy to have delivered monthly (to qualify for the 15% off) at prices that undercut the major supermarkets when they run their 'offers'.

Does anyone here use Amazon Subscribe & Save for their groceries and save money over shopping from their nearest supermarkets?

ChukkleOdeon

Nobody got any experiences they want to share?

Nada666

I suspect that is because 99% of people spent five minutes one day scratching their head saying 'I would pay that much for that why?' and have never returned.

Sort of like some club warehouses - unless you only ever pay full retail price for branded goods in supermarkets they seem utterly pointless.

geordie_joe

Nada666 wrote: »

unless you only ever pay full retail price for branded goods in supermarkets they seem utterly pointless.

I think you are assuming everyone is the same as you, but they are not.

Many people live in little villages miles from the nearest shop, and don't drive. Many only have one bus per day, or even one bus per week. The go on an "expedition" to the supermarket once a month, and if they forget anything, or need anything they don't have between "expeditions" it's cheaper and easier to buy from amazon or ebay.

Also amazon, and ebay, sell many things you just can't get in supermarkets. Or things that are area/county specific, so when people move to a different part of the country and find they can't get certain items, they turn to amazon and ebay for them.

I doubt anyone uses amazon and ebay for there regular shopping, in place of a regular supermarket. But for many people they are like a corner shop that is open 24/7 and sells everything you can think of, and millions of things you never thought of!

ChukkleOdeon

Thanks for your responses. I think the geordie joe brings up a good point. If I was living in the countryside in my Grand Designs self-built home which would have a walk-in larder, I could see myself using it more, mainly because you can source larger sizes of a lot of products than the supermarkets stock.

For example, last night I was putting together a shopping list and one thing I need is butter beans. Would usually get tins but, if I wanted (and crucially had the storage space) Amazon was selling 3kg packs, which is larger than any of the supermarkets offer.

Coopdivi

geordie_joe wrote: »

I think you are assuming everyone is the same as you, but they are not.

Many people live in little villages miles from the nearest shop, and don't drive. Many only have one bus per day, or even one bus per week. The go on an "expedition" to the supermarket once a month, and if they forget anything, or need anything they don't have between "expeditions" it's cheaper and easier to buy from amazon or ebay.

Also amazon, and ebay, sell many things you just can't get in supermarkets. Or things that are area/county specific, so when people move to a different part of the country and find they can't get certain items, they turn to amazon and ebay for them.

I doubt anyone uses amazon and ebay for there regular shopping, in place of a regular supermarket. But for many people they are like a corner shop that is open 24/7 and sells everything you can think of, and millions of things you never thought of!

I don't normally like to debate with you geordie joe because I know that you are never wrong about anything but if these people can't drive so only do their shopping once a month how do they carry everything home?

ChukkleOdeon

Coopdivi wrote: »

if these people can't drive so only do their shopping once a month how do they carry everything home?

Supermarket home delivery, taxi or rucksack, granny trolley and as many other bags as one can drag/carry?

geordie_joe

Coopdivi wrote: »

I don't normally like to debate with you geordie joe because I know that you are never wrong about anything but if these people can't drive so only do their shopping once a month how do they carry everything home?

People do it different ways, down here some people get the bus to the supermarket then get a taxi back with their shopping.

Some do the bulk of their shopping at Iceland and have them deliver it.

Most single people just get on the bus with their shopping. Drivers are different out in the country, they get out of the bus and help people with their shopping, either carrying on and off the bus for them, or putting it in the boot.

We have a group of old ladies who hire a mini bus on the last Thursday of the month. It drops them off at the tesco across the road from where I work and picks them up an hour later. Quite often they come into our store just to look round while they are waiting for the bus to pick them up.

I work with a woman who drives 35 miles to her mothers once a month to take her to the supermarket.

If you need to do it, you just find a way that suits you.

Lugh_Chronain

ChukkleOdeon wrote: »

Supermarket home delivery, taxi or rucksack, granny trolley and as many other bags as one can drag/carry?

And panniers. I can get a large size box of washing powder in one of mine, that's one in each pannier if I'm not shopping for anything else.

Incidentally, you could consider adding price alerts using mySupermarket if it helps any ChukkleOdeon, just click on a product image. You'll need to sign up and will alert you by email when a product price drops. Great for comparing prices too once you get the hang of it.

If you're intending to use Amazon for your groceries then consider having a look at camelcamelcamel. No need to sign up, just enter your email address once you've searched for a product or URL, they'll send an email once the price drops on Amazon in a similar fashion as mySupermarket.

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/

http://uk.camelcamelcamel.com/

abby1234519

I buy some stuff from amazon, almond flour for example. It's handy when its prime delivery

gs1647

I use subscribe and save for my favourite biscuits, Border's Black Forest cookies, which are not sold in supermarkets. I think subscribe and save is best used for that purpose, sourcing hard to find items at a reasonable price, difficult to see how they could undercut supermarkets on common items given delivery costs.