My life just got simpler. Superstore has introduced a convenient way for me to order groceries online.
Shop online at https://shop.superstore.ca.
Select your groceries and your nearest Superstore
Choose a pick up time
Pick up your food (with reserved parking!)
This process doesn't completely replace my family's grocery shopping needs, because I prefer to buy the majority of my meat and produce at Costco, but ordering from Superstore has already saved me time and money. With two young girls, our mornings fill up quickly and the afternoons are structured with nap time and meal prep. The last thing I want to do is wander around the grocery store, come home, rush to put away groceries and then cook. I hate feeling rushed. Hate, hate, hate.
I was so delighted about this potential time-and-money-saving process that I placed my first order at 10 p.m. Seriously, I almost couldn't sleep out of sheer excitement. Today, the girls and I hopped in the car after nap time, picked up our order and were back in time for dinner prep.
ORDER PROCESS
Sign-up and link your PC plus point account with email address and payment preferences.
Select time slot between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. (some slots are $3 and others are $5 depending on popularity, i.e. Saturdays)
Search items and add to cart.
Create lists for future purchases (for example, postpone some expenses until next month's budget) or reoccurring purchases.
Review order and checkout. (A $30 purchase minimum is required.)
Forgot an item? You have until midnight to amend your order!
PICK-UP PROCESS
Park in reserved parking.
Call number on sign (or on confirmation email), let clerk know what stall you are in, and review any out of stock items/substitutions.
Order is delivered, items are reviewed, and a courteous and polite clerk will load your trunk. (The young lady who helped me even set aside my eggs and bread to place it out of harms way. YES!)
ADVANTAGES
Line of sight to grocery bill. I stuck to my list and I even chose to skip cereal and make extra muffins this month. Adding two boxes of cereal to my cart would have totalled an additional $18.
Working moms. I wish this process had existed while I was working. Cooking has been a priority for me and if this service had existed while I was working, I think we would have eaten out less.
Out of stock items. A lady in the car beside me ordered raspberries, but they were out of stock. The clerk ran back into the store and brought out a small package of berries and asked if her she would rather have two small containers instead. Personal shopping at its finest!
Price per unit. Math not your strong suit? "Click and Collect" prices out items, like eggs, per unit (or by weight).
View Description. View the full nutrition and product information by clicking "view details".
Delegate chores. I can order the groceries and my hubby can pick up! One of my BFF's was out of town and had groceries ordered and ready for her husband to pick up upon her return. I love having fresh produce after a vacation!
PC plus points and in-store deals. Pay the same price for in-store deals and collect PC plus points like you would if you went shopping yourself.
DISADVANTAGES
Product availability. Not all items or brands that are in-store are available online (yet). For example, maple syrup, oyster sauce, lipgloss, dish soap ... to name a few.
Experience food. I want my kids to know where their food comes from and how to budget. Good habits are caught more than they're taught and living life (even grocery shopping) holds timely lessons. However, as I mentioned above, Costco and the farmer's market are still reoccurring appointments in our calendar.
Out of stock items. I didn't understand why strawberries weren't in my order when they had plenty in store. I'll have to dig deeper on this one.
Joe Fresh. Sorry, no clothing ... sigh.
More screen time. And I quote, "Oh great, another reason for you to be on your computer?"
OVERALL
Other than forgetting my phone and not being able to buy the latest L'Oreal lipgloss I saw on Instagram, I will recommend and use this service repeatedly. Staying on budget by avoiding impulse items and being intentional with my time are all in line with my current priorities.
GREATEST BENEFIT: AVOIDING IMPULSE BUYING AND SAVING TIME.
Really, don't expect perfection for a $3-5 personal shopping fee. Someone might try replace your size 3 diapers with a size 6, tell you they don't have the most critical ingredient for your dinner recipe (resulting in an additional and unexpected stop on the way home), or the car isn't loaded with your haul within two minutes of notifying the "Click and Collect" tea. This is a system which relies on both people and technology - be gracious. The benefits far outweigh the cost.
