March 26, 2008
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Grocery Shopping in England
When I shop for groceries “back home,” I take my huge list, hop in my minivan, head to WalMart/Giant, grab a big cart, pile it full of a week or more of groceries, head home, and make my kids unload the van.
Here, things are different. First of all, refrigerators are about half the size, and freezers are also tiny. So, one can’t buy as much on a trip. Second, we usually have to bring all of our groceries home by hand since we ride the bus. That means a walk from the store to the bus stop, and then a ten minute walk home with the milk and juice and bread and flour causing the bag to dig painfully into the hand. (I really appreciate having five children for these grocery carries home.)
However, the coolest way to shop for groceries is to order online. Most grocery stores allow you to place an order online, pay for it by credit card, and then deliver it to your house for a fee (usually under 5 pounds). How amazingly convenient! It’s especially handy as I use my order as a running shopping list.
When I run out of something, I go to the computer and add it to my
basket.We use Tesco’s for our shopping. You just go to their site, type in what you want, choose from the list of options, and add it to your cart. Then, the delivery person shows up at your selected time (two hour window) with big, green flats of happiness–all your groceries! They bring the flats right in to the kitchen (if you want) and wait while you put everything away. Then, they take the plastic containers back and leave you happily in your house without thirty plastic bags to put away, no gas used in the van, and no time at all except what you spent on the computer.
It’s just like Christmas every time the Tesco guy comes to the house. And, he comes tonight. Ice cream for all!
Comments (30)
If someone could implement this well here in the US, I would use it in a heartbeat. Half a heartbeat, even.
Wow, I could fall in love with that!
That is one advantage to city living that I would enjoy! (or at least small country living)
I know some major cities in the states do that as well…but like everything else it is only cost effective if you have enough business within a certain distance from your store.
How delightful. It does happen in the US….but is not common. Very tempting, though. I hate grocery shopping!
That’s really neat! It would get old lugging around heavy bags, so the fee is well worth it.
I love learning new things about other cutures, it’s very interesting to see the small differences. Thanks for sharing!
I’m trying not to be jealous!
That’s how I’ve done almost all of my shopping since Baby J arrived, and I LOVE it! For an extra $10 we can get it delivered, but we just drive by the store, and they come out to the car and load your order into the trunk. It’s pretty hard to beat, even if you like grocery shopping! (I do, or at least I used to.)
Grocery shopping is the only type of shopping I don’t mind doing. It’s like a fun game seeing how low I can get the total with all my coupons. Now, shoe shopping on the other hand – I’d rather be shot….I wonder if I could call in an order for shoes?
Enjoy your ice cream, Mary. God bless you.
That’s awesome! If we lived there, I’d want that.
We’re experimenting with fabric (save the world from plastic) shopping bags. I am not the least bit “green”, but I like them, and they don’t dig into your hands as much.
Woo hoo! Enjoy your ice cream tonight! Thanks for your comments! Oh, and did you see? I am reading Eclipse!
@tinybutterfly -
You are on to Eclipse already? After you are done, you have to tell me if you are on Team Edward or Team Jacob.
Hey, I want a grocery man! Oh…that would be my husband. Now
Do you get tea delivered to your door? We got that when we lived in the Northeast.
You sound like a happy shopper!
I agree, it is wonderful! I even did it a few times, (and I only had myself to feed! Not a family of 7! Great to stock up on heavy items and prepare for dinner parties…) through Tesco and also through Sainsbury’s (who used to do it for 1 pound, and they have 1-hour slots).
But I also got good at shopping with a backpack, and then loading all the heavy stuff in that, and then biking home… with backpack full, bike basket full, and one bag hanging off each handlebar, it’s surprising how much can be transported!
Say, any chance I could ‘borrow my bike back’ for the week I’m in town in May?
No worries if you’re using it regularly! But it would be handy…
Oh my gosh…that grocery delivery service sounds awesome!
That sounds great! I hate grocery shopping anymore. Mainly because I seem to forget things and it’s just such a job, especially if I have the three kids with me.
That settles it for me… I’m moving to England.
ryc: You say the sweetest things! I think that sounds just fabulous! You do know that my in-laws live in York, don’t you! …ya never know! In my little, idealistic mind, we’d live right next door to each other and our kids would play together (we’d just FORCE them to like each other, if there were any objections!) while you and I would bake cookies and go shopping and lounge around the pool …you DO have a pool, right? And the children would all homeschool themselves! I must tell you, though, that we do not have any plans to move to PA at this time & I’d have a really hard time moving farther away from my Mom than I am already. Not to mention that I have PMS 5 weeks out of the month and have lost all my friends because I yell at them & call them names… oh, but, for the reality of it all! (Yuk! Yuk!) No, but, in all seriousness, I would, at the very least, love to visit you on a trip to our in-laws. It would give me something to look forward to other than the pretty scenery… ooops… did I say that out loud? Oh, no, I didn’t, so it’s o.k.!! (slap me! – God bless my in-laws!)
Ooo! Hubby made me some popcorn!! Gotta go! AJ
I am thinking that this is exactly how I want to grocery shop! I’m more than willing to pay the small fee for the convienience of not having to haul my behind back and forth to the grocery store, deal with the grumpy retiree’s blocking every other isle and stand in line waiting for a cashier to open up. A Tesco Christmas sounds just perfect to me!
@yanniesue -
Of course you can have it back! Bike away.
Oh my goodness! That sounds wonderful! No plastic bags? No carrying it all in? How nice!
ryc: oh, I got distracted with the popcorn last night, but, I meant to tell you: You do NOT have a big nose! It is very nice. It just must be the angle of the picture that makes you think that. Have a great day! Do you still have snow?
In Houston they tried a system like this called GroceryWorks. I used it a few times and loved the convenience. You had to be really careful and know your prices and they would accept coupons. The coupons were given to the delivery person and credited to you next order. Alas, it must have been a big money loser though for it didn’t last more than one year…..
What about Simon Delivers? Maybe you all don’t have that where you live. I think it may eventually become a national company. Interesting perspective on shopping in England. Thanks!
WOW! what made you decide to move to England? Grocery shopping on line sounds great! Id love to have my grocery’s delivered to my door,-)My moms English….,-)
@Havlik -
No, I’ve not heard of Simon Delivers. I’m in PA in the US, but just not right now.
Oh wow, think of that! Groceries delivered to your door, and/or children who empty your van. I should be a persuasive speaker, -I’ve had so much experience trying to motivate a grocery bag brigade with words, but, come to think of it, I must not be very persuasive because they often get out of it.
Wow, this is awesome!!!!
Neat-O! I remember England being LESS convenient than the USA, even in 1999 when I visited there a few times. How cool that they’ve got something MORE convenient than we have. I just took the 30-second tour of Tesco online after I read your entry here. Cool.