[sinatras]

Originally Posted by djsuperfly

The point is that you toot the horn of all these services, but you've said yourself that you don't actually use them. So what exactly is your point? You state how awesome they are, but you still go to stores yourself.

That's not ordering YOUR groceries online. If you ever go into a grocery store to buy groceries, you are not meeting the definition of what most people would consider "buying your groceries online." It's amazing after all these posts that you are JUST NOW talking about how you order perishables online. Where was this before? Either you're very bad at making arguments or you're just making things up as you go along.

We've already talked about Blue Apron and HelloFresh (if you can even remember all the circular arguments you've had to go through). I think they're awesome for people willing to pay for that convenience. As I've said, though, read their reviews. Packaging can be hit or miss. It's expensive for most people to do with regularity.

That's the big issue with your argument. No one is claiming that none of these options exist. However, they are prohibitively expensive for most people to use frequently. Online delivery of perishables is still a niche market. And, YOU yourself never claimed until now to even use these companies that offer these services.

How hard is this?

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...300671576.html

"We're seeing double digit growth in online ordering and grocery delivery"

"Grocery shopping is changing and the pace is accelerating"

[kokonutty]

Originally Posted by sinatras

I know at least 5 people who shop from Publix via Instacart weekly and they have yet to receive an item that was old or inferior. They love the service! And it is only increasing in popularity. Publix is now carving huge sections at the front of the store dedicated to several coolers holding bags of Instacart orders (see photo below). I think it's interesting people are ordering packs of bottled water. I'm sure it's very nice to have someone else deliver heavy items like those straight to your door!

A perfect example is my sister. She decided to do Instacart after going to Publix every Sunday and seeing they were out of many things she needed. Which then required a second trip to another store.

Now she schedules her Instacart run and avoids both those wasted trips.

I myself do not like Instacart b/c of the markups and fees. I order elsewhere as I have said.

I never said "old," I described an item closer to its expiration date than what a shopper would select. "Inferior" is a relative term so unless the items being delivered are being compared to those available in the store there is no way to know if what they got is better or worse than what a shopper could get on their own.

Heavy and bulky goods are things that may make sense for some to order online but people doing their own shopping do it when it is convenient for them and do not need to adjust their schedules to be home when a delivery is coming.

There may come a day when the benefits of delivery outweigh the detriments but for me that's far away.

[djsuperfly]

Originally Posted by sinatras

I think I have already said that I grocery shop both offline and online, and that many people are shopping this way. If you insist that grocery shopping must be exclusively offline, or exclusively online, then you have no clue as to what the path to purchase looks like today for the U.S. grocery shopper. You are trying to put the U.S. consumer into a box that no longer applies.

I don't use Instacart but I do use Amazon Fresh. I don't use Postmates but I do use Walmart.com. I buy fresh food online. I buy dry goods in a physical store.

My point is that many people are grocery shopping many different ways.

Yes, but you are completely forgetting the original point of all of this: this is about Publix. This is about how you felt the need to come online and disparage Publix, claiming that they can't meet all of your needs. However, you've now demonstrated over and over that no ONE, SINGULAR entity can do so. Why you don't feel the need to disparage any of the other singular entities that you use but aren't 100% perfect either, I don't understand.

I could personally care less how you choose to shop or how anyone chooses to shop. That's the great thing about a free market economy: there are lots of choices for everyone. However, again, in 99.9% of cases, you are still going to be paying a premium to have perishables delivered to your home. If that works for you, great; but don't pretend that, at least currently, most people are going to pass on paying that premium. Even though the online segment is growing, that doesn't mean it isn't currently a niche market. You seem to keep looking to the future and equating that to the present.

Each new post of yours moves the goalposts in a major way. I'm sorry you can't see that, but it's true.

[sinatras]

Originally Posted by djsuperfly

Yes, but you are completely forgetting the original point of all of this: this is about Publix. This is about how you felt the need to come online and disparage Publix, claiming that they can't meet all of your needs. However, you've now demonstrated over and over that no ONE, SINGULAR entity can do so. Why you don't feel the need to disparage any of the other singular entities that you use but aren't 100% perfect either, I don't understand.

I could personally care less how you choose to shop or how anyone chooses to shop. That's the great thing about a free market economy: there are lots of choices for everyone. However, again, in 99.9% of cases, you are still going to be paying a premium to have perishables delivered to your home. If that works for you, great; but don't pretend that, at least currently, most people are going to pass on paying that premium. Even though the online segment is growing, that doesn't mean it isn't currently a niche market. You seem to keep looking to the future and equating that to the present.

Each new post of yours moves the goalposts in a major way. I'm sorry you can't see that, but it's true.

Please re-read the thread and stop LYING about what I said. I did not come here to disparage Publix. In fact the first thing I posted was, I see nothing wrong with Publix asking for donations. If you don't like being asked to donate money, don't shop at Publix.

Later in response to another comment about Publix prices, I said Publix sales/BOGOs do not apply to me because nothing I ever want is on sale there, and in fact Publix does not carry many of the items I buy regularly, which was true 8 pages ago and is still true here on Page 9.

Since Publix is the MAJOR grocery chain of record in my area, it would be nice if Publix carried more of the grocery items I like, and that they were available for same day delivery, direct ship and curbside pickup. It would be nice if the MAJOR grocery chain in my area had more options for grocery shoppers like me, who like to have lots and lots of options.

I'm sure that day will come, and in fact Publix is starting to realize that they need to step up their e-commerce and grocery game to compete. They even started carrying Jeni's ice cream recently, a “niche” brand (or so you would call it) I have been ordering online for years. Publix figured out that people like me were having it shipped. (Unfortunately Publix doesn’t carry my fave flavor so my monthly order from Ohio continues.) Publix has also figured out that many people like me are ordering other fresh and non-fresh groceries online, and they are expending their selection commensurately.

Meanwhile, I will keep shopping some physical stores and myriad websites like I do now and be extremely happy that I can get pretty much anything I want delivered, including frozen Chicago pizzas from Mariano's grocery store in Chicago, tortilla chips from H-E-B grocery store in Texas, and seasoned oils from Wegmans in New York.

And just in case you care to know how many other people in Publix’s territory are shopping this way, just join the plethora of social media groups online where Floridians trade tips on online grocery shopping. It might be educational for retail neophytes such as yourself.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by sinatras

Until then, I will keep shopping some physical stores and myriad websites like I do now and be extremely happy that I can get pretty much anything I want delivered, including frozen Chicago pizzas from Mariano's grocery store in Chicago, tortilla chips from H-E-B grocery store in Texas, and seasoned oils from Wegmans in New York.

Just out of curiosity, do you all have something like this in the Tampa area?
https://theancientolive.com/

I routinely go there for seasoned oils.

They also do online shipping.

[sinatras]

Originally Posted by Arcenal352

Just out of curiosity, do you all have something like this in the Tampa area?
https://theancientolive.com/

I routinely go there for seasoned oils.

They also do online shipping.

Great tip! Let me check.

[ByeByeLW]

The tortilla chips from H-E-B could interest me. Going to check those out. Thanks.

[sinatras]

Originally Posted by ByeByeLW

The tortilla chips from H-E-B could interest me. Going to check those out. Thanks.

You are very welcome. I invite everyone to explore the wealth of online grocery options out there. They are vast!

[sinatras]

Originally Posted by sinatras

Great tip! Let me check.

OK I checked out that website.

The decision for me now is:

A: Drive 15 minutes to Hyde Park, along the way get honked at by some impatient clown who hates that I drive the speed limit, fight to find a parking spot, walk in the brutal heat to the store, and buy the oil

or

B: Order it online

I know which one sounds better! THANKS Arcenal352!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by sinatras

OK I checked out that website.

The decision for me now is:

A: Drive 15 minutes to Hyde Park, along the way get honked at by some impatient clown who hates that I drive the speed limit, fight to find a parking spot, walk in the brutal heat to the store, and buy the oil

or

B: Order it online

I know which one sounds better! THANKS Arcenal352!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL! No problem!
I'm going to admit, the only reason I go INTO the store is because I am often in the area meeting clients, and it is literally a block down from the Sunrail station where I stop (Downtown Winter Park). If I had to drive there, I wouldn't.