Supermarket Home Delivery : Review

There are a few reasons why I order my grocery shopping on-line.

1. I have a toddler

2. I spend less

3. I can add things throughout the week so nothing is forgotten

4. I can choose the deals I want more wisely (if I’m in the actual shop I tend to just grab what I want to eat there and then)

5. It doesn’t take long

6. I can arrange for delivery to suit me

I have been ordering on-line since having Max really so I have been scouring the sites for the best offers, deals and delivery options. With what I would class as quite extensive knowledge on the subject, I thought I would review the ‘Big 5’ on-line grocery sites and their service.

ASDA

Pros:

– It has one of the cheapest deliver costs (average £2.99).

– You can ‘Click & Collect’. This is handy for me as I do live close to an ASDA store so may as well go and pick it up rather than pay a delivery cost.

– I haven’t had to have many substitutions from them and when I have, they have always been suitable.

– You can do the ‘ASDA’ price guarantee with your receipt and you usually get a voucher for some money off.

– Any like-for-like trolley shop is always the cheapest with them.

– Low minimum spend of £25.

Cons:

– The customer service really isn’t the best. I have had three occasions where some / half of my order wasn’t delivered(?) and when I call to ask when it will be delivered I was told on all occasions that it wouldn’t be. My money was refunded but means I have to go and re-buy it in-store. Kind of defeats the object of on-line shopping….

– The delivery drivers I have experienced have been a bit slap-dash. Leaving you to get the bags out of the crates, not explaining the receipt well or asking if I am happy with the substitutions etc. I get that they are probably busy but it’s called customer care…

– I have once experienced receiving a text the morning of my delivery saying that it can’t be delivered and I must call to rearrange. I didn’t want it delivered the next day so I cancelled it and went to the shop to re-buy it all. I got back from the store and about and hour later had a driver knock on my door with my on-line order! Ridiculous!

– There are no offers for first on-line shop or money off when spending a certain amount.

– No loyalty scheme.

Overall Score: 1/5

Sainsbury’s

Pros:

– There are always regular emails offering free delivery or money off.

– You can order right up to 11pm the night before and the delivery slots are one-hour rather than what most sites have which are two-hour ones.

– The drivers have always been thorough in explaining things to me, asking if I’m happy with things and always polite and offer to bring the bags through to the kitchen.

– On the rare occasion that there are substitutions, they have always been suitable.

– They do a price match on branded groceries so you can possibly get a voucher.

– You can collect Nectar points.

– Low minimum spend of £25

Cons:

– If you don’t get a voucher or email for free delivery, it is one of the most expensive (average £4.99)

– Not everything comes up on the website. Sometimes, when I know there are certain products I want, they don’t come up on the site, though I know Sainsbury’s sell them. Their basics range also doesn’t come up in searches unless you actually type ‘basics’. I know they want you to spend more money but it’s a bit cheeky…

Overall score: 4/5

Waitrose

Pros:

– Always completely free delivery.

– Best store for organic products.

– Never had a problem with ordering and the drivers / customer service is brilliant. They bring the bags to you and ask where they should put them, very polite drivers and I get called ‘madam’ and everything!

– Bags are colour coded for easy unpacking – you know what is for the freezer, and which is for the cupboard etc.

– You get money off your first five orders. There is a minimum spend of £75 each time but you get £5 – £25 off those five orders.

– Their ‘Essentials’ range is much better than other supermarket basics items.

Cons:

– High minimum spend £50

– Overall, it is the most expensive store. Though they do a Tesco price match on certain products.

– No loyalty scheme.

Overall score: 4/5

Tesco

Pros:

– Low minimum order.

– Low deliver cost (average £2.50)

– Good customer service and have never had a problem with a delivery.

– They do a price match so you can possibly get a money off voucher.

– You can collect Tesco club-card points.

Cons:

– I have always had a few substitutions when ordering from Tesco and they haven’t even been particularly strange items, just low stock I guess.

– Tesco’s own brand items are lower quality but higher prices than say, ASDA or Sainsbury’s own brand things.

Overall score: 3/5

Ocado

Pros:

– Big money off vouchers off your first shop and from time to time subsequent shops (usually £20 off)

– The items are a mixture of Waitrose and Ocado so it makes an overall trolley slightly cheaper than just shopping on the Waitrose website.

– No problems with subs and had no porblems with any of my orders.

– One hour deliver slots.

– Good customer service – you are emailed before hand letting you know who your driver will be and which type of van (onion, lemon, strawberry etc) to look out for.

Cons:

– No loyalty scheme.

– Expensive delivery (average £5.20) and if you don’t spend over a certain amount you are charged a higher rate. There is a discount card you can buy to make delivery cheaper if you want to order with them regularly.

– Minimum spend of £40

Overall score: 3/5

I must say, that these ratings are only valid for the home deliveries from said supermarkets. If it was just a review based on just visiting the store and buying the items yourself, then the scores would probably change slightly, particularly ASDA. I’ve never had a problem in store with them but in my experience of the hom shopping with Asda, they have just not been up to par.

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