Grocery Shopping Simplified: Reasons More People are Buying Food Online

Buying groceries is becoming more mainstream, with a rising number of retailers across America and the world providing the option. This practice isn’t suited to everyone, but getting your food online is still worth considering given a handful of significant advantages.

Your Online Grocery Options

In general, when you buy groceries online, you can either have someone get your items ready for pickup at a traditional store, or you can have the vendor deliver the goods directly to your home or business. With the former option, you typically are limited to what’s available from a single store, usually the one where you’ll do your pick-up. With the latter choice, you might be able to get a delivery that includes many different retailers, such as if you get cereal from one seller and chips from another. In either case, items that require refrigeration or freezer storage can be tricky. You’ll need to be able to ensure that you can complete the pickup for these items quickly after they’re pulled from the shelves, or guarantee that time is blocked off on your schedule for you to accept the delivery in person.

Your local grocery chain might already provide an independent online service. Alternately, you can use a company that has formed partnerships with other suppliers. Examples include Google Express, Instacart, Drizly, Peapod, Fresh Direct, Door to Door Organics and Good Eggs. Some of these companies, such as Hello Fresh, not only bring you food, but help you plan meals, too.

Formaggio brand Artisan Wraps Italian Style Meats around Fresh Mozzarella Image/CFIA

Why Buyers Everywhere Are Getting Their Chow Via Technology

Over the past decade or two, buyers have become much more comfortable and familiar with the idea of online shopping. Sites like Amazon, for example, now make up a large percentage of sales. Additionally, more people have advanced technology, such as smartphones and laptops, that make hopping onto an online vendor’s site easy. Newer vendors also have figured out how to cut some of the overhead costs for online grocery services, too, adopting more streamlined infrastructures that let them pass lower prices onto customers.

With the environment now more suitable for online grocery purchase, and with sellers having worked out some of the logistical and financial kinks, consumers are turning to the Internet to get food largely to save time, as they do with other products. They also use online grocery options because they’re unable to find what they want in their local markets, or because getting out to the store is physically challenging or emotionally distressing because of crowds. The opportunity to take advantage of savings through Flipkart offers or other electronic coupons and discounts also appeals.

Conclusion

Traditionally, a trip to the grocery store has been the main path to fresh or shelf-stable foods. Modern consumers, however, no longer have to rely on this method of shopping, and many people are turning to online grocery purchase instead. Although you need to do a little research to see if the pricing and pickup/delivery options are right for you, the advantages of getting food online might be well worth it.

Guest Author :

Kim Simmons works in an online retail environment and he likes to use his knowledge to be a savvy shopper and likes to pass on his insights to others online. He writes regularly for a variety of consumer websites.

Image/FDA