Can internet shopping ever replace the supermarket?
FEMAIL PUTS BRITAIN’S LEADING FOOD STORES TO THE ON-LINE TEST
IT’S hailed as a shopping revolution, and stores have recruited thousands of extra staff to cope with the new demand. It will end that slog to the supermarket with the click of a mouse — or so it’s claimed. But just how easy is it to get groceries delivered to your door via computer? FEMAIL asked three writers to order the same items from three different supermarkets to find out...
ASDA
LUCY HAWKING, 29, lives in South London with her son, aged two. Her husband, Alex Mackenzie Smith, 30, is working abroad for the EU. MY Main challenge was to complete my home delivery shopping order before the Teletubbies ended and my toddler was unleashed.
So i picked up the phone. The reason i was on the phone instead of at my computer was because my apple Mac computer was not compatible with the asda’s system.
What you need is Windows 95/98. if you do have that, you call the helpline to request a CD-Rom which they send in the post and you load into your computer.
You actually do your shopping offline. By reconnecting to the internet, this information is then sent to asda which will confirm the order and tell you whether your delivery time slot is available.
However, the option of ordering by phone was fairly easy. armed with a catalogue, i made a list of the products i wanted then phoned through to the help desk.
Once they had taken my credit card details, it took under 15 minutes to get through the list.
The delivery time was set for the next evening, to arrive within a twohour slot.
Having groceries delivered if you live in a first floor flat in a street with limited parking, as i do, is a definite bonus. Duncan the delivery man carried the bags into the flat itself, arriving at 6.50pm. The order was entirely correct.
asda has run its catalogue and online service for under a year and is limited to Croydon and Watford. Cost of shopping: My main problem was the minimum order of £50. i had to order extra. Delivery charge: £3.50. Delivery time: normally next day.
VERDICT: Good. i’m tempted to never visit the supermarket again.
SAINSBURY’S
BONNIE ESTRIDGE, 44, lives in Clapham, South London, with photographer husband Chris Holland, 49, and two teenage daughters. FOR three years, i have used Supermarket Direct home delivery. it takes ten minutes to read code numbers from a catalogue over the phone — two minutes if faxed — and early next day, a nice hunk appears with my goods. So could Sainsbury’s Orderline via the internet be better? Registration was easy. The next-day delivery slot I wanted had gone, so I settled for 11.30am-1.30pm.
The next stage was more problemhen atic. When I chose a chicken, an error message came up. Ten minutes and a call to the helpline later, it appeared on the list.
This glitch happened frequently and i called the helpline three times. One hour and 40 minutes later, the order went through. But I added £6 to my phone bill for time online.
Cost of shopping: £26.67. Delivery charge: £5. Delivery time: Next day.
VERDICT: Until this is faster, I would not use this again. Even a trip to the shops would have taken less time.
ICELAND
LUCY SHAKESHAFT, 29, lives in Altrincham, Cheshire with her journalist husband, Nick, 29, and their 21-month-old son I THOUGHT Iceland sold just frozen food, so was pleasantly surprised that they stock everything from Fairy Liquid to wine.
It took me ten minutes to register online (I was an internet virgin) and then it was time to shop.
This is very straightforward. Tap in ‘wine’, and it lists all their stock. Click on ‘ pick’ and the item pops into your shopping basket. Simple, but there are glitches.
They don’t sell fresh vegetables so I settled for Potato Waffles and Potato Smiles instead, and there were just 11 wines to choose from.
It took me 40 minutes to place my initial order, but it was faster than trekking round the store.
The delivery was due between 10am-12pm the next day. A friendly young chap arrived bang on time. Cost of shopping: : £29.04. However, there is a minimum charge of £40 so I had to order extra. Delivery charge: Free. Delivery time: Next day.
VERDICT: It’s the first time I’ve shopped on the internet — but I’m hooked. I may never visit the supermarket again.