The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Add convenience to your list with online grocery options
My mother hated grocery shopping, so when I turned 16 and got my driver’s license, she was more than happy to hand me the checkbook and send me to the store with a list.
I thought it was fun (obviously, I still do) so I was happy to take on that role. Today, even shoppers who hate grocery shopping can manage to get the job done with new online grocery-ordering services available from both online sources and brick-and-mortar stores.
Kroger Clicklist
Kroger offers an online grocery program called Clicklist. You can go to Kroger.com to see which stores in your area participate. You order your groceries online and have the option of picking your groceries up at the store (curbside) or having them delivered to your house. Prices vary by region. As an example, my store’s price is $4.95 to pick up the groceries at the store (the first three orders have free curbside service), and the home delivery price is $11.95.
As a strategic shopper, my objective is to get my groceries at the lowest possible price and extra fees don’t really factor into that. However, one of the primary reasons people blow their grocery budgets is impulse shopping in the store. It is possible that you’ll spend less money on groceries, even with a delivery fee, because you’re not tempted to buy extra items.
When I had young children at home, I would have been thrilled to pay $11.95 rather than loading impatient toddlers into the grocery cart. Even driving by the store and having someone put the groceries in my car for me would have been well worth the $4.95 curbside service charge.
I tried the Clicklist order process and found it to be very easy. Once logged into your Kroger account, the page showed my most frequently-purchased items at the top, making it easy to get started. I noticed that the prices were the same as the in-store prices. After clicking several items, when I went Shoppers can visit Kroger’s website and, in some areas, order groceries online for curbside pick-up or home delivery. Similar options exist through retailers such as Amazon and WalMart.
to check out I was given the option of curbside or home delivery, as soon as the same day within a one-hour window. In digging deeper, I was pleased to see that the digital coupons saved in my Kroger account would come off the order automatically, just as they do in the store.
In reading the FAQs, if I did curbside service and had newspaper coupons from the AJC for the items, I’d be able to use them although I would have to wait longer while the cashier adjusted my total.
Amazon Prime
Another interesting option is ordering groceries and household products from Amazon. With Amazon Prime, it can be less expensive to get items delivered than buying them at the local store. The key is to compare prices on a unit-cost basis. Final prices vary widely depending on whether the item has a promotion, an additional online coupon, or extra savings programs like Amazon’s “Subscribe and Save” feature that gives a 20 percent discount on pre-scheduled regular purchases.
I recently ordered a large package of Charmin bath tissue from Amazon because it had the lowest unit cost as compared to my local stores, and I’m a Prime member so it was shipped free in two days. The item was on sale and it had an online Amazon coupon which simply required a click of the mouse to claim. I can’t believe that sale made a profit for Amazon, but I imagine they balance sales like mine with other shoppers who don’t take the time to compare prices or read this column!
Wal-Mart options
Wal-Mart also has online grocery ordering, store pick-up and delivery available for select stores. The grocery order process is simple, and the store pick-up option is always free. There were several participating stores in my area, but none were close enough to my house, and the delivery option isn’t available yet to my address. If you have a nearby Wal-Mart store, the free store pick-up option may be attractive. I noticed that the online grocery prices were the same as the instore prices.
Wal-Mart also has a referral program that gives you a $10 online coupon when you refer a new shopper after they place their first online order. The new shopper will also get a $10 coupon. This is a pretty sweet deal, so I read the fine print and will share it with you. This is from Wal-Mart’s website: “Offer valid for one-time use only for Wal-Mart Grocery online service, in available stores. Minimum order of $50. Only one discount code per order. Offer not transferable. Does not apply to alcohol purchases. Customer responsible for all applicable taxes. Offer expires after 1 year from promotion code delivery. Disclaimer: your friend will only receive an email if they are opted-in to receive marketing emails from Wal-Mart.”