Grocery Pick Up Service

[Katsmeow]

Thanks for that link! I knew quite a bit of the company history, but not that much. I had no idea that they had initially expanded south and headquartered in the Rio Grande Valley for a while. It certainly explains their dominance around here. There are no Randalls or Albertsons down here AFAIK, and maybe one Safeway. We have Sprouts and Costco, but otherwise HEB dominates the entire area.

Until last year I always lived in the Houston area and HEB was my favorite store. And, then I moved to NE Tarrant County. Well. There are basically no HEBs in this area. There is an HEB is Burleson (almost an hour away). Apparently HEB has been very steadfast about not going into the DFW market.

There is Central Market about 12 minutes away. But, within 6 minutes of my house I have Whole Foods, Market Street, Kroger, Tom Thumb (aka Randalls for this area), Walmart Neighborhood Market, Target, Aldi. The Central Market and Trader Joe's are appealing but are now too far away. I say now because when we lived in the Houston area (Montgomery County) we were 20 minutes away from that HEB and that was our "close" grocery store.

I actually don't like Central Market as much as the actual HEB. There are some protein snacks (Kay's brand) that I bought at HEB but Central Market doesn't carry them (I buy them from Amazon now). I truly don't understand why HEB won't really come to this area.

 

[Kelor]

Excuse the ignorance, but what's HEB stand for?

It's a supermarket chain.

 

[HFWR]

I’ve pondered trying delivery, not so much for regular use, since I’m usually not busy, and there’s a Walmart, Walmart NM, Target, Tom Thumb, Aldi, Fiesta, and a Ranch Market, all with about two miles, but more for use during illness or injury.

Haven’t yet though...

 

[Badger]

I want to pick out my own produce, as well as my own beef. Maybe they do a good job, maybe not. Will they get the milk and bread with the latest date like I try to do? I drive 1/2 hour each to the grocery store so it's not a big hit to spend a little more time shopping for myself. Besides, I shop variably. If the apples look good, I stock up, because they have a pretty good shelf life. If they aren't good and I know I have enough at home until next time, I skip it. There are a few other foods like that for me. I doubt the system could handle that.

One thing that bugs me is that Kroger took out 6 prime parking spots in a fairly small lot for pick up service. And I rarely see a car in them. So it's a drawback even without using the service.

Sounds pretty much like how I shop. I have never used a service to select my groceries but then I do 90+% of the grocery shopping at the commissary that is 2 miles from our house. Since I also do the cooking I want to select the freshest produce and stock up on chicken and pork when they are on sale. To avoid the crowds I consider the time of day and the day of the week. It's a good practice to stay away on pay day or when a ship comes into port. First thing in the morning as they open is usually a safe bet when there are no crowds and the shelves are stocked.


Cheers!

 

[audreyh1]

I see the pickers doing a good job in produce, and then I realize they have to do at least a decent job or folks won’t use the service.

But so far I enjoy grocery shopping and the store is usually convenient to other errands and I usually manage to avoid the most crowded times.

 

[CaptTom]

I'm still stuck on the whole produce thing. The vast majority of produce in supermarkets is inedible. And I've shopped along the whole East coast and beyond.

Am I the only one who remembers when you could get a fresh, ripe melon or pineapple? When grapefruits weren't the size of naval oranges, and naval oranges weren't the size of tangerines? When fresh, ripe strawberries tasted as good as they looked?

Now, the melons are so un-ripe they're hard as a hockey puck. If they've sat around long enough, they'll shrivel up and dry out before they properly ripen. I haven't had a fresh, ripe orange in years. Strawberries look red and ripe, but have no flavor and they're not soft.

Everything has been bred for looks and for shipping, not for taste.

Maybe you can find a few cucumbers which haven't shriveled up and aren't starting to rot yet. Occasionally you can find broccoli or iceberg lettuce which hasn't started to dry out and brown at the cut base. Maybe I'd trust someone to pick those out.

But usually, I wander the produce department looking for something - anything - that's even edible. I don't usually shop for produce from a list. It's more like an expedition to try to find something worthy of buying. Then I'll work my menu around that.

 

[Badger]

...Everything has been bred for looks and for shipping, not for taste...

But usually, I wander the produce department looking for something - anything - that's even edible. I don't usually shop for produce from a list. It's more like an expedition to try to find something worthy of buying. Then I'll work my menu around that.

+1


Cheers!

 

[audreyh1]

We get great produce. No, I don’t expect ripe tomatoes anymore but no complaints about the rest of it. Of course I live in citrus country, so that helps.

 

[harllee]

OP here, at least for fruit I find that frozen fruits are the best, especially cherries and blueberries. I have gotten some vegetables from the Walmart pick up--cucumbers, onions, green peppers, broccili, asparagus, brussell sprouts, bagged salad and all have been good.

 

[tmm99]

I don't think I'll ever want to use grocery pickup services. I like to do my own shopping for several reasons.

1. When I want to buy, say, a chicken breast package for $10, or a broccoli bundle for $1, I look at the size/weight of each one and pick the heaviest/biggest one.

2. I want to look at conditions of what I am buying especially produce. For example, I like navel oranges with big navels, garlic cloves with big cloves, green onions that are very thick, celeries that are whiter (not so green), carrots that are not too thin, greener bananas etc.

3. I enjoy finding and looking at items that I didn't know existed or haven't tried and maybe want to pick up to buy.

4. I care about what cuts of meat I buy - for example, when I buy pork chops, I have a preference for how it's cut and how the fat is distributed, etc. Same with bacon; I like bacon with less meat but more fat.

So overall, I guess I don't mind grocery deliveries for pantry items, but that's the extent of it.

I don't like crowded grocery stores either, but now that I'm retired, I can avoid weekend and evening rush hours and shop when the stores are quieter. But I must admit... I like grocery shopping. It's like an outing and to me, it's fun and kind of relaxing.

 

[harllee]

OP here, I think it is great that many like to grocery shop--obviously it is like a hobby for some folks. And if you are a gourmet cook and are very particular about produce, etc, grocery pick up and delivery may not work. But boy is it great for me. I hate grocery shopping and I am not that picky on produce. I get most of my meats from Omaha Steaks. I am loving the Walmart grocery pick up and may give the Walmart delivery a try especially if I get sick or the weather is bad. Right now there is a $10 promo code for Walmart pick up so all you would have to do is order $30 worth of staples and you would only pay $20 plus tax. I think there is also a free trial period for grocery delivery.

 

[CaptTom]

A few people have mentioned getting decent produce at WalMart. You're lucky!

Around here, they have the absolute worst produce. I read a few years back that they'd hired a new executive to improve their produce department, but I can assure you that program hasn't found it's way to New England yet. Even their green bananas, which are pretty hard to screw up, turn brown before they ripen to yellow. And everything from there always brings fruit flies into the house.

I only half use a list. A lot of my decisions are made right there in the store, based on what I see and comparing different products.

A hobby? Not at all. A chore, yes. But one that's worth doing.

 

[upupandaway]

As I write this I have a Walmart pickup happening in an hour. Overall we have been very happy with the service. A few things we like.

That substitution thing has worked amazingly in our favor. Actually this is my favorite part seeing what got upgraded. We meal plan weekly and buy what we need. Each order generally has 2 to 3 substitutions because we are ordering smaller quantities and sometimes they are out of that size. They gave us a 10lb bag of chicken breasts instead of 3lb. They once gave us a huge bottle of organic honey instead of the little one we ordered for the recipe. One time they gave me 32oz of Walnut halves instead of 8oz. I don't know what their rules are for substitution limits but they seem to want to put something in instead of cut the item from the order. Also there is never a charge for these substitutions and they won't go lower then what you originally ordered.

The second thing that makes this work is they go over the subs and you can look at the produce right at the car. Anything that doesn't look right you just don't have to accept. This has only happened twice. One substitution I didn't like and I got some ugly tomatoes another day.

All together we have been happy and it has kept us on budget and away from impulse buys. It's not for everyone but works great for us. If I have any fun substitutions today I will post them.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I'm still stuck on the whole produce thing. The vast majority of produce in supermarkets is inedible. And I've shopped along the whole East coast and beyond.

Am I the only one who remembers when you could get a fresh, ripe melon or pineapple? When grapefruits weren't the size of naval oranges, and naval oranges weren't the size of tangerines? When fresh, ripe strawberries tasted as good as they looked?

Now, the melons are so un-ripe they're hard as a hockey puck. If they've sat around long enough, they'll shrivel up and dry out before they properly ripen. I haven't had a fresh, ripe orange in years. Strawberries look red and ripe, but have no flavor and they're not soft.

Everything has been bred for looks and for shipping, not for taste.

Maybe you can find a few cucumbers which haven't shriveled up and aren't starting to rot yet. Occasionally you can find broccoli or iceberg lettuce which hasn't started to dry out and brown at the cut base. Maybe I'd trust someone to pick those out.

But usually, I wander the produce department looking for something - anything - that's even edible. I don't usually shop for produce from a list. It's more like an expedition to try to find something worthy of buying. Then I'll work my menu around that.

Feeding 330 million people isn't easy and farming the "old school" way just won't cut it these days. If you want it "the good ole way" then you probably have to shop local farmer markets or grow it yourself. Same goes for meats.

 

[Katsmeow]

We have had two deliveries from Walmart and so far I have been happy with it. I did get some blackberries, greens, bell peppers, carrots from Walmart. I was a little anxious about it but everything was fine. The greens came in a packaged box with an expiration date that was far enough away not to concern me.

The only thing I haven't liked is that yesterday I did an order in the late afternoon and they couldn't deliver until this morning. Same thing today. DH realized we needed some trash bags and DS wanted some food items so I did a new order. This was at 4:30 and I couldn't get a delivery until tomorrow. You have to give 4 hours notice for delivery and the latest window is from 7 pm to 8 pm. So basically I guess you have to have the order in by 3 if you want it today. It isn't a huge issue but don't really see why they can't deliver a little later.

One good thing, though, is that I have a delivery set for tomorrow morning. I can add to or change my order until 1:45 am (seems an odd time, but OK). That was handy when there was something I decided to add on after I had originally placed the order.

What I am basically doing is putting something in the shopping cart as I think of things then when it gets above $30 I place the order.

I also had a good substitution on the last order. Once again I ordered their store brand for something and they substituted with a more expensive name brand. I was fine with this as I thought the store brand for the item was OK but the name brand was fine also (just more expensive).

 

[2soon2tell]

We have considered using HEB's curbside pickup service. What % tip is considered appropriate?

 

[harllee]

Katsmeow, thanks for the detailed info about the Walmart grocery delivery, very helpful. For now I am sticking with the Walmart pick up but I plan to try the delivery if I ever get sick or if there is bad weather. Today I picked up a grocery order at Walmart. On the app Walmart told me the order was ready. I responded when I was on my way (a couple of miles away) and when I pulled into the parking space an employee was waiting with my groceries. All in all took about 10 minutes to pick up my groceries. The only item that was out of stock was asparagus, I should have know it would be out of stock since it was priced $2 for a bunch.

 

[harllee]

We have considered using HEB's curbside pickup service. What % tip is considered appropriate?

Don't know for HEB for for Walmart the website says tips not accepted. I would probably tip some anyway if an employee had to do something extra.

 

[upupandaway]

I said I would report back from today's Walmart pickup order. Today they decided I needed 80oz of tater tots instead of 32oz. Also my vinegar got the organic upgrade. It's not life changing but hey free tots.

ORDERED

Great Value Taters, 32 oz
1 × $2.14

$2.14

SUBSTITUTED

Great Value Frozen Taters, Seasoned Shredded Potatoes, 80 oz
1 × $2.14

$2.14

ORDERED

Pompeian Red Wine Vinegar 16 Fl Oz
1 × $2.12

$2.12

SUBSTITUTED

Pompeian Organic Red Wine Vinegar 16 Fl Oz
1 × $2.12

$2.12

Not a fan of your substitution. Tell an associate. We'll remove it and you won't be charged.

 

[Philliefan33]

This thread made me wonder about pick up or delivery services at Wegmans, and since I was making my list last night I decided to do a comparison.

Wegmans uses Instacart for grocery ordering. I had started my shopping list in the Wegmans app and the total was $26. When I put the same items in the cart on the Instacart website, the total came to $30. That lines up with what the Instacart website says, that the grocery prices are 10-15% higher to cover the cost of picking.

By the time I went to Wegmans today I had added some items to my list. Then there were a couple of in-store impulse buys (a mango and a bag of chips), so my total was $56.

Curbside pickup would be free, so if I estimate my $56 cart would’ve cost me 10- 15% more that’s about $6-$9 for the convenience of someone else picking out my groceries. I spent 40 minutes in the store, so it’s a very reasonable hourly rate to pay. That said, I usually have plenty of time to get our groceries now that I’m retired. This service would’ve been nice when I was w*rking full time and coaching and driving our girls all over the place.

I will keep this in mind for times when I feel pressed for time or during the holiday season when Wegmans is especially crowded. Or, wouldn’t it be nice to swing by the store on your way home from the airport after a long trip? Send in your shopping list while waiting to board your flight, then pick up the groceries on the way home so you don’t have to go shop before breakfast the next day?

I’m going to mention this service to my parents. My mom’s Parkinson’s is starting to affect her mobility and my dad has never shopped for groceries. This might be a good fit for them.

 

[audreyh1]

A few people have mentioned getting decent produce at WalMart. You're lucky!

Around here, they have the absolute worst produce. I read a few years back that they'd hired a new executive to improve their produce department, but I can assure you that program hasn't found it's way to New England yet. Even their green bananas, which are pretty hard to screw up, turn brown before they ripen to yellow. And everything from there always brings fruit flies into the house.

I only half use a list. A lot of my decisions are made right there in the store, based on what I see and comparing different products.

A hobby? Not at all. A chore, yes. But one that's worth doing.

It so depends on the store. The produce at the Walmart in my Dad’s small town is very good quality with lots of options and even a decent organic selection. But I’ve been in other stores with horrible looking produce.

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

I used Wal-Mart grocery pickup first time on Sat. We were coming home from a road trip and I just didn't have the Schlitz to shop so I jigged up the order fri night for sat morning pickup. Worked like a dream. Beautiful produce. Cold cold meats. And for whatever reason the sales tax was only $2 on about $97. Prices same as in-store. At HEB the local chain the online prices are much higher.

 

[pjigar]

My wife had been hooked on Walmart grocery pickup for a while. It's actually fresher than what you find on shelves.

 

[Gulfbeach]

I started using HEB pick up as soon as it became available here and am a fan.
I use it for a reason I have not seen stated above. It is hard for me to read prices posted at certain levels in the store but very easy on the app.
HEB does not allow tipping.
Sometime I use Walmart pickup but prefer HEB for most products.
Because I stay in the car I don’t have to dress much and when I pull into my garage the groceries are ready to be unloaded easily.
Plus the dog can ride along and not have to sit in a hot car.

 

[harllee]

Interesting that a poster above notes that the Wegmans online pickup prices were higher than in the store--not so at Walmart. In fact at Walmart the pickup prices can be lower if they substitute a higher priced item. Another poster noticed that pick up at Walmart has lower sales tax than it would be in store, I have noticed this too--wonder why.