Online grocery shopping

We are just adding things to our weekly shop, trying the online method seeing that everytime my DH and I are in the actual shops we tend to buy out M&S's speciality foods... I can not begin to tell you how much we spent the last week on mezza and pate

Anyway, it's been quite a few years since I have used online shopping, it seems so foreign in the States, I couldn't even find one place that offered it. So now back here we are about to try the online grocery circuit again. Any recommendations and tips on any of those out there?

The major ones all offer it:
ASDA
Tesco
Sainsbury's
Ocado (who deliver Waitrose food)

Handy website is http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk which will comparison shop the 4 above!

The only one we ever use is Tesco. Never had any issue with it and they always have a good selection of delivery times that are convenient for me. 

We use Ocado regularly and really like it.  Never had a problem with late or missing deliveries. 

Ocado is the best one I've used, but also the most expensive/least choice.  Sainsburys & Tesco are both adequate and with a wider range of products avilable.  I don't recommend buying too much of your fresh produce this way, because you never know quite what you'll get. eg one time I ordered a red pepper and the one they brought was the size of a melon! 

Ocado is the best one I've used, but also the most expensive/least choice.  Sainsburys & Tesco are both adequate and with a wider range of products avilable.  I don't recommend buying too much of your fresh produce this way, because you never know quite what you'll get. eg one time I ordered a red pepper and the one they brought was the size of a melon! 

Oh I think Ocado have good choice I agree with you though, they're definately the best as they use this major distribution warehouse system they don't get greasy teens to pick out your shopping from the shelf

You could also try Abel & Cole, Riverford organic or Real food direct for organicy stuff

I should probably qualify that 'cause I haven't used Ocado since about 2006. Back then the choice wasn't great, may be better now.

The major ones all offer it:
ASDA
Tesco
Sainsbury's
Ocado (who deliver Waitrose food)

Handy website is http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk which will comparison shop the 4 above!

And Waitrose. Ocada delivers Waitrose brand products and a lot of other stuff, Waitrose has its own delivery service - they don't necessarily cover the same geographical areas either.

Doug

Giving tesco a try first, lot s of special offers will keep you posted.

I find Tesco to be the easiest as well as most choices.  Admittedly I've never used ASDA (hate the layout) or Ocado (too pricey for us).  I've used Sainsbury's (very good on 1-hour time slots and timely service) but have been put off by them as they don't allow you to choose your product substitution choices like Tesco do and if something comes that you don't want or like they want to redeliver later in the day or the following day - just seems like such a waste of time, money & effort when you could've just chosen your substitution online at the time of purchase and have it all delivered in one go...   

One of the down-sides I find with online grocery shops is that some of the products that you use on a regular basis aren't always available online even from the same grocery store.  It's especially frustrating when you know which store the groceries are coming from, know the store stocks a particular item, yet you can't order it for home delivery.  Tesco, Sainsbury's and ASDA all do their online shops from the grocery store floor, whereas Ocado does the online shop from a warehouse to be delivered to your door.

I agree MySupermarket's a good place to compare prices if there are particular products that you like.  This can sometimes be helpful when you're going into the shops themselves to shop.   

Good luck!

I should probably qualify that 'cause I haven't used Ocado since about 2006. Back then the choice wasn't great, may be better now.

The different of opinion might be because we don't have kids or pets so we don't buy any branded goods  and we don't have a freezer so don't buy any frozen food.

I think if proper branded stuff were important then it's probably way too expensive and does have limited choice.

I'm pro-Ocado as it gives me a lot of choices of what chicken breasts I want (free range, organic, corn fed, bone in) but that's probably just me, and I should have qualified my statement as well

I also bought a year long membership for £60 which gives free delivery for a year, so that's worked out really well and saved me over £150 in delivery charges as we pretty much do a weekly shop.

It's swings, roundabouts and personal preference in the end, no right or wrong!

thanks cheese, we tried tescos and wasn't bad but I know they do not have a selection like Ocado does. Going to give that a go in the new year.

thanks cheese, we tried tescos and wasn't bad but I know they do not have a selection like Ocado does. Going to give that a go in the new year.

If you haven't already - I'd recommend signing up with Ocado in advance.  They usually send you discount codes by post and email to save on a home delivery shop as an incentive to shop with them.   

we don't have a car we only have a motorcycle so we always do our big grocery shopping online. We use Sainsbury's and they have always been very good. One time the driver showed up five minutes late and we got a 10 pound voucher...That is the first and only time he has been late. One time when we first started we didn't get a bunch of our order so we went into the store to pick them up and ask why they were out of them. They let us talk to the online lady and she figured out it was someone new who packed our order and they comped our whole basket for us. Ever since then we haven't had any problems. I am really happy with the service. And if your order is over 100 pounds you get delivery for free