Grocery shopping is something you might not even think about. Many of us like going to the supermarket. If you’re retired or a stay at home parent, you might consider grocery shopping to be an activity. You can also plan out a meal looking at what’s on special offer. And, looking at the shelves might give you a new idea about a recipe to try. We like grocery shopping because we enjoy picking our own produce and knowing that we picked out the exact veggies we wanted.
However, COVID-19 is keeping many of us away from the stores. And we are reconsidering our stance on having our groceries delivered. People who already like ordering their groceries appreciate the fact that online shopping stops you from impulse buying in store. You don’t order cookies when you shop online. If you’re in the store and you smell delicious things in the bakery department, even if you made a shopping list, everyone occasionally fall victim to buying tasty treats. Shopping online then saves you the money you might have splurged and the calories!
There is also the convenience of not having to go out. Even more than that, it can be safer, not just because of COVID-19. Carrying heavy groceries can be rough on the back and can increase your risk of falls. If you can’t see the ground while carrying bags, you can trip, which can cause serious medical problems. Because delivery people shouldn’t come into your home with the concern over the virus, it’s still better than carrying things around the store and loading and unloading groceries. If you are unsure on your feet, or have back problems, it can be a great way to protect yourself from injury.
We have been talking about stress a lot recently, with people’s worries about COVID-19, there can be a general sense of mania in the stores now. There is an “every-person-for-themselves” attitude that has led to physical fights over store goods. Things like water and toilet paper have become hot ticket items that people are fighting over. And parking at many locations can be incredibly difficult right now. For older people, many stores are opening early and allowing only people above a certain age to shop. If you qualify for that, ad want to go to the store, take advantage of it! But, for people under the age of 60, stores are operating for fewer hours. When you order your groceries, the store will get what you need while you avoid conflict and searching for parking.
There are cons. As we said before, we like picking our produce. And, sometimes, you will be told that something on your list was unavailable only after the fact. If you’re in the store, you can buy something else on the fly, but it’s impossible when someone else is doing your shopping. Some stores have been changing their policies, and their services are now texting the buyer to ask about substitutions. The most significant drawback for many people is the fee. Even if it’s not expensive, there is still something irritating about paying people to do a routine chore. Some delivery services are not charging at the moment, to try and help customers. You can check when you look to see what services are available in your area.
Even if a delivery service charges you a fee or you prefer to see your fruits and veggies beforehand, it might be worth trying out online grocery shopping. If you don’t like it, you’ll know in the future that you’d prefer to go to the store. Maybe you’ll find you enjoy shopping online, and the drawbacks are worth the benefits. And, if you are someone at risk of catching COVID-19 but are still uninterested in ordering through a service, ask a healthy friend to grab things for you and leave them at your front door. Protecting yourself is essential.
