If any (or all) of them resonate with you, it may be time to check out the best online delivery services in your area. If you’re still on the fence, we’ve put together a list of the top 10 reasons you should have your groceries delivered.
1. Grocery delivery will save you time
According to the USDA, the average shopper spends 40+ minutes in the grocery store every week. That’s time lost that you could be spending with your family, relaxing with a book and a glass of wine, learning a new skill, or fitting in a quick jog.
Whatever the reason, we all wish we had just a little more time to ourselves. Doing your groceries online is one to achieve this. You can search for products by name, which makes finding old favorites and new trends a breeze, and many online stores allow you to save your shopping list and use it again and again. You can reduce time spent on groceries from 40 minutes per week to 5 minutes without sacrificing quality or freshness.
2. You can take advantage of online coupons
Coupons are a great idea and a fantastic way to save, but paper coupons are a hassle. Back-of-the-receipt coupons are easy to lose, and sifting through catalogs is time-consuming.
Many online grocery stores suggest relevant coupons as you’re shopping and even let you know when deals are on for your favorites. You can also filter for items that are on sale.
Some people are born with a natural talent for couponing, but it’s a real time drain for those of us without supermarket superpowers. Don’t miss out on good deals anymore just because you don’t have the time (or patience!) to commit to full-time couponing.
3. Quickly find healthy food choices based on your dietary needs
Just like you can search for items by name, all online grocery stores let you filter by aisle, and some will even let you set filters for vegetarian and vegan diets, paleo and Mediterranean diets, and more. This is a god-send for those of us with gluten sensitivities and other allergies in the family, but it’s also a great way to make eating more healthily just a little easier.
Rather than spending hours going from aisle to aisle hunting down the food items you care about, use quick-search options and filters to find everything you need in record time, without having to compromise on your dietary goals or go without your favorite foods.
4. Online grocery shopping helps resist the urge to impulse shop
Have you ever noticed that essential items, like vegetables and baking products, tend to be on opposite sides of the store? That’s because the longer you spend in a grocery store, the more likely you are to make purchases. In fact, a study from Bangor University, U.K., found that after just 23 minutes in a store, you start making decisions with the emotional, rather than rational, parts of your brain. After about 40 minutes, your brain effectively shuts down, and it becomes much harder to resist impulse shopping.
This is just one of many tactics grocery stores use to get you to spend more. You can regain some control by taking your shopping online. You'll spend less time shopping overall, making you less likely to succumb to shopping exhaustion, and you can usually make a shopping list and add everything to your cart in one go, so it’s easier to stick to your list and budget.
5. You can take advantage of weekly deals
Like coupons, weekly deals are a great idea in principle, but scanning through your grocer’s weekly catalog is time-consuming and, let’s be honest, not all that exciting.
Online grocery stores use huge databases to keep track of all their different products and sales. It’s much easier to take advantage of weekly deals when they’re automatically matched to your account and what’s in your cart.
Companies like Amazon can also connect with your Alexa and learn from your online shopping habits to offer deals that make the most sense for you.
6. You can easily help elderly parents or neighbors
If your parents or a cherished neighbor are getting on in years, it may not be practical for them to go to the grocery store anymore. At the same time, you probably don’t want to be laden down at the supermarket with twice as many groceries. Or maybe your parents live on the other side of the country, and you still want to help them out.
With online grocery shopping, your delivery address doesn’t have to match your billing address, and it’s easy to change it between orders. You can place an order for an elderly friend or family member and then switch back to your own address in seconds. Or help them set up an account and use it together. Either way, you have peace of mind without the added hassle.
7. You can keep track of purchases and stick to your budget
Online grocery shopping has the added benefit of saving all your receipts for you automatically. You can easily find and download past purchases to make sure that you’re sticking to your budget and to avoid any surprises on your credit card bill.
Most online grocery stores also let you quickly select past or regular purchases, so you can set up your shopping list based on your budget and stick to it every time. If you have a set of weekly meals, it’s even easier, as more and more cooking and recipe apps allow you to build a shopping list for the week, which you can then use online.
8. Online grocery stores help you get inspired and eat seasonally
Coming up with exciting, seasonal recipes can be fun but also time-consuming. While there’s no shortage of fantastic YouTube cooking channels out there, sometimes it’s nice to have everything in one place.
Online stores like Amazon Fresh have curated lists of seasonal ingredients for special events like Thanksgiving, Easter, or the first barbecue of the season. Plus, you can see what’s popular in your area to try out the latest local food trend.
9. You can shop local, without breaking the bank
Local, organic produce doesn’t have to be expensive. By coordinating with local producers, online grocery stores can offer local products at reasonable prices. Eating locally is better for the environment and better for your family, and local produce is usually much more fresh and delicious than fruits and veggies packed in crates and shipped hundreds of miles overland.
Most online stores will have a section devoted entirely to what’s local and organic in your area, and as online shopping increases in popularity, you can bet that regional farms will be getting in on the action, too. From local kombucha to craft beer and ice cream, you can get to know the real flavors of your region without having to drive out to far-flung farmers’ markets.
10. Online grocery shopping gives greater independence for those who need it
A sprained foot or nasty bout of the flu can keep you off your feet for days—even weeks. Doing your groceries online means you still have full control over what’s in your fridge without having to resort to ordering take-out or fast food every night. That’s a big help both physically and emotionally.
For individuals with disabilities, having fresh, local produce delivered straight to your door used to be prohibitively expensive or just plain impossible. As online grocery shopping grows in popularity and market share, coverage areas are expanding rapidly as well, and prices are going down. If you or a person you know has a disability and hasn’t yet discovered online grocery shopping, it may be time to give it a try.
Conclusion
The best online grocery services available today are making it easier, faster, and cheaper than ever to get fresh, local produce and great deals on everyday essentials. With reusable shopping lists, filtering for specialty diets and discounts, and local options, it’s a practical and convenient way to save money and get back just a little bit of your time each week.
