On Sat, 14 Aug 2004 10:43:24 +0100, Roland Perry wrote:

In message , at
13:19:59 on Fri, 13 Aug 2004, Lance Lamboy
remarked:
Most grocery stores do deliveries so why would a huge family have a
problem.

There are several practical problems.

You never get to see what's on special offer at the store that day, so
always buy at "list price".

You don't get a very good impression of what new products are coming on
the market, so you get stuck in a rut buying the things you are familiar
with.

Substitutions can be a big problem, with many stores taking a
sub-optimal approach to this. It means you can end up missing the one
vital ingredient for a recipe.

Occasionally you get things like "10kg of apples" instead of "10
apples". I can be sorted out, but is a pain.

And, obviously, you have to book a slot for the delivery and make sure
you are at home. If you are housebound, that's not an issue; but if you
are travelling elsewhere that day (especially by bus) the times you can
guarantee to be at home can be unpredictable.

Here is how it works. You go to the grocery store. You pick up your
groceries. You take them to the checkout counter. You ask for delivery.
Instead of bagging your groceries, they get boxed and they put a slip on
the box with your address, phone number, etc. You go home without your
groceries. The supermarket delivers your groceries. There is a small fee
for the service which you pay at the checkout counter.

It's just like when you go to a takeout/delivery pizza place. You can
place your order, wait, and then take your pizza home. Or you can place
your order, ask for delivery, and go home.

I don't personally get my groceries delivered but it is really popular
with elderly people.

--
Lance Lamboy

"Go F*ck Yourself" ~ Dick Cheney