Grocery Shop Online--While You Can

Buying groceries on the Web is a terrific, though possibly endangered, convenience.

James A. Martin, special to PCWorld.com

You're a busy person, right? If an online grocery store services your neighborhood and you don't relish the idea of trolling supermarket aisles in your copious free time, then do yourself a favor, for crying out loud: Start buying at least some of your groceries online--before it's too late.

With the continuing electronic-commerce shakedown, recent news reports range from gloom to doom about Webvan, Peapod, Streamline.com, and their competitors. "Webvan and other online grocers won't be able to succeed because they can't integrate goods from different suppliers and ship them in a cost-efficient way," declared Ravi Kalakota, an analyst at E-Business Strategies in Atlanta.

As a result, Webvan, the largest online grocer, is under enormous pressure to turn a profit. Competitors Streamline.com and ShopLink recently ceased operations. Consolidations occur on a regular basis; Webvan acquired HomeGrocer.com this past summer, for instance. Peapod pulled out of several markets earlier this year and would have shut down entirely, had it not been for a $73 million cash transfusion from a Dutch grocery chain.

Better Than You'd Think

Meanwhile, as the dot-coms slip (and a few go out of business), shoppers complain about waiting in ever longer grocery store checkout lines--yet are slow to change their "entrenched behavior," Babson College professor Kathleen Seiders noted in USA Today.

It would be a shame if the struggling online grocery industry failed--and an acute shame if it happened because of consumer apathy. I've been buying groceries on the Web for 18 months now, and I can't understand why anyone with a computer, an Internet connection, and a local cybersupermarket would stand in line when he or she can shop online.

Need convincing? Read on. What follows are the biggest advantages and the relatively minor drawbacks of online grocery shopping, extrapolated based on my experiences using two Web grocers serving my San Francisco neighborhood, Webvan and Peapod. Since the options offered by online grocery services vary from area to area, your neighborhood Web grocers may or may not have the same pros and cons that I found. See " This Way to the Checkout Line" to see if you, too, can get delivery service.

Eight Reasons to Buy Groceries Online

I'm often asked why I prefer shopping over the Web to shopping in a store. Here are my answers.

Save time. My average weekly trip to the real-world grocery store used to take about two hours. Online, my weekly shopping (after getting set up as a customer and customizing a weekly shopping list) takes about 30 minutes at the computer, plus about 10 to 15 minutes for putting everything away once it's delivered. In total, I save about 75 minutes a week.

Eat well. Initially, I worried that the meat sold by Web grocers would look like something Joan Crawford made her daughter Christina eat in Mommy Dearest. I've been consistently impressed, however, with the high-quality cuts (such as gorgeous Niman Ranch filet mignons) that Webvan and Peapod deliver. Likewise, the produce has been consistently fresh and appealing--no bruised apples or overripe sacks of potatoes here.

Save dough--on some items. For this story, I compared prices for 54 items in such categories as dairy, meat, frozen foods, and household goods at Webvan, Peapod, and a nearby Safeway. In total, Peapod was the most expensive ($260), followed by Safeway ($252) and Webvan ($251).

Before you mutter "I told you so" under your breath, consider this: Peapod's total cost was higher than Safeway only because its meats are far superior--and hence, more expensive--to the chain supermarket's butcher products. Peapod's total meat bill was $49, compared to $39 for Webvan and $34 for Safeway.

It's worth noting that Webvan's meat prices were a few dollars higher than Safeway's, yet my total bills for Webvan and Safeway came out to be nearly the same. Most importantly, when I removed meat as a category from the shopping tallies, Safeway emerged as the overall most expensive grocer ($218), followed by Webvan ($213) and Peapod ($212). That's because Safeway's prices for staples in the health and beauty categories--and for some other items--were often higher than the online grocers.

Unlike supermarkets, Web grocers charge delivery fees (on the order of $5 to $10) if you spend below a certain amount. (Webvan's minimum order to avoid paying a fee is $75; Peapod's is $100.) But a week's worth of groceries is bound to put most families over the minimum. As for tipping, Webvan couriers are forbidden to accept them; Peapod encourages the practice.

The bottom line: If you select your products carefully, you can spend less money by shopping online. Of course, that's based on the price you pay before you deduct the savings from manufacturer's coupons or supermarket "clubs" that offer a discounted price. Web stores don't take coupons or offer special clubs, though they do have weekly specials. If you're a habitual coupon clipper and buy lots of house brands, a regular market could end up being cheaper for you.

Save shoe leather. The kitchen in my San Francisco condo is 35 steps from the street level. So let's see: Would I rather schlep my groceries--including bottled water, wine, and chemical fireplace logs--up all those stairs myself? Or would I rather let Webvan and Peapod do it for me? Hmmm, that's a tough one.

In addition to doing all the hauling, Webvan and Peapod couriers are typically prompt, courteous, and accommodating. For elderly and the handicapped--as well as recent parents too busy with the infant to head out to the store--this service is a phenomenal by-product of the Internet age.

Come home to a grocery delivery. There's nothing worse than returning from a long out-of-town trip to an empty refrigerator and the prospect of a grocery run. Fortunately for the well-organized traveler, most online grocers let you place delivery orders at least a week in advance. Midway through a recent 12-day trip, for example, I ordered groceries at Webvan and scheduled the delivery for the morning after my return.

Get organized. Writing up a weekly shopping list before heading to the store can be the definition of tedium. But online grocers let you build custom shopping lists to keep track of your regularly needed items. With one click, all the items you need for a week of meals slide right into your virtual shopping cart. The only difference I notice is that Webvan's shopping lists are more flexible and convenient than Peapod's. At Webvan, for instance, you can easily save the entire contents of your shopping cart as a list; Peapod makes you add items to a list one at a time. Both services let you create multiple custom lists.

Get more than groceries. Most brick-and-mortar supermarkets these days sell items (such as flowers) beyond the realm of food and beverages. Webvan takes the concept a few steps further, delivering a limited amount of music CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes, video games, books, magazines, office supplies, baby products, pet care items--even Old Navy T-shirts and Toshiba notebook computers. And with delivery guaranteed within a day or two, you can even get last-minute gifts faster and more cheaply than using a traditional online store and FedEx.

Shop securely. Online grocery shopping is as secure as any other online shopping. Both sites I tested use SSL encryption to protect your credit card number in transit. And according to their stated privacy policies, neither Webvan nor Peapod sells your personal information to third parties. Safeway, by contrast, explicitly states that it uses its Club Card data to profile your shopping habits. If you value your privacy, it's best to stay away from the supermarket clubs.

Eight Online Grocery Shopping Downsides

By now, churlish readers are mumbling that this must be too good to be true. I admit there are a few disadvantages to buying groceries on the Web. Strikes against online grocery outfits follow.

Convenience doesn't equal instant gratification. Online grocery deliveries must be scheduled about a day in advance. So if you were shopping for a dinner party tonight, you'd still have to hoof it to the market. Webvan gives you a one-hour window for deliveries; Peapod requires two hours. After-work time slots (such as from 6 to 7 p.m.) and weekends fill up quickly. As a result, you may have to schedule a delivery two or more days ahead for a desired time slot.

You don't always get the picture. Items are displayed online in small to medium-size images that can make it difficult to gauge their actual size. Recently, for instance, I purchased a 3-pound tub of margarine from Webvan when all I wanted was the 1-pound size. (Even though the site did in fact display the size of the product I purchased, I picked the wrong item.) Sometimes, Peapod offers no product image at all. And neither site displays Nutrition Facts information (such as caloric content) consistently. In this regard, Web grocery shopping can't compare to the supermarket.

Not many generic items. Most supermarkets sell their own branded or generic versions of painkillers, salad dressings, soft drinks, and other commodity items. The prices for their generic products are typically lower (sometimes far lower and certainly enough to compensate for the slight online price advantage if you're willing to buy house brands) than nationally advertised brands. Currently, Webvan and Peapod sell a limited number of no-name products. Both sites offer the same, fairly broad range of name-brand products in popular varieties and flavors as a supermarket would.

Imminent expiration dates. Sometimes the expiration dates for perishable products (such as milk) delivered by Webvan and Peapod are too close for my comfort. I always check the dates upon delivery--and you should, too. If it's less than a week away, refuse the item, and the delivery person will take it off your total bill on the spot.

Coupon clippers need not apply. Currently, Webvan doesn't accept manufacturer coupons. (Sorry, Mom, but you can stop mailing them to me now.) Peapod shoppers can use them, though the cost savings are deducted from their next order rather than the current one. Peapod also features a page of about 20 interactive coupons; the savings are automatically deducted from your checkout tally. But that isn't the limit to special savings: Both grocers offer weekly special discounts on selected products.

Items can go AWOL. Now and then, an item I ordered doesn't make it into the delivery truck, or something I didn't order does. The simplest solution: Check each item against a printout of your order while the courier is still on hand. Webvan's site does a good job of telling you what's in stock as you shop. With Peapod, you don't know if an item's not available until the courier shows up without it--and that could spell trouble if that item is, say, the Cornish hens you planned to serve as the main course at a dinner party.

No squeezing the Charmin--or anything else. Mr. Whipple would love online shopping, because you can't touch his beloved brand of toilet paper until you've paid for it. Unfortunately, the rest of us may want to explore new marinades, squeeze the seasonal fruits, or discover products we never knew existed; nothing beats browsing the aisles of a supermarket for that. You can surf through listings of product categories on both sites, but it's more like looking at a library card catalog than browsing the stacks.

Special diets? Stick to the real store. Webvan and Peapod do a good job of highlighting Kosher foods, but that's about it. Webvan displays a symbol next to each Kosher item, for instance, while Peapod has a Kosher section. Otherwise, those on gluten-free or other restricted diets may find it difficult to shop for items meeting their requirements. Both sites let you search for keywords or product names, and both take suggestions for new products if they don't carry them. But the dearth of ingredient lists on most products means you might want to check out questionable items in the grocery store first, then take note of which brands you can buy and come back to get them at the Web store later.

This Way to the Checkout Line

Like so many other online experiences, grocery shopping isn't perfect. But for those who can get the service and use it, online supermarkets provide a marvelous convenience. Shopping online saves an enormous amount of time and effort, though it doesn't mean you'll never venture inside a supermarket again. The biggest problem for users of these services right now is their potential disappearance.

Despite my fervor for Web grocers, I still venture inside a supermarket about once a week to pick up miscellaneous items that either the online store doesn't carry or aren't worth a full order. But now, because I know I'll be checking out in the fast-moving ten-items-or-less line, I'm more inclined to take my time, explore the aisles, and enjoy myself--something I never did when the grocery store was my only option.

Where Are the Stores?

By now, you're probably curious about the Web grocer that's set up shop in your neighborhood. We've compiled a list of the largest ones, though you might be able to find one or two more in search directories. Remember that just because a Web grocer has a presence in your area, it doesn't mean you live within its delivery area. Be sure you check where it delivers on the grocer's site.

• GrocerOnline ships its products via FedEx to the lower 48.
• GroceryWorks.com delivers in Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin.
• HomeGrocer.com (a subsidiary of Webvan) delivers in Dallas/Fort Worth; Los Angeles; Orange County, California; Portland, Oregon; San Diego; and Seattle.
• HomeRuns delivers groceries to the kitchens of shoppers in the Boston and Washington, D.C., areas with its own fleet of vans.
• LatinGrocer ships a wide variety of hard-to-find Latin American specialty items nationwide via the U.S. Postal Service.
• NetGrocer.com delivers anywhere in the continental United States via FedEx.
• PDQuick serves Los Angeles and Orange County, California.
• Peachtree Network is a network of local grocers providing delivery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Oklahoma City; New York City; Buffalo, New York; and many major Canadian cities.
• Peapod serves Boston; Chicago; Fairfax County, Virginia; Fairfield County, Connecticut; Long Island, New York; Montgomery County, Maryland; San Francisco; and Washington, D.C.
• PopGrocer.com delivers within Manhattan and to select neighboring areas of New Jersey.
• Webvan serves Atlanta; Chicago; Sacramento, California; and San Francisco.

PC World contributing editor James A. Martin doesn't get out of the house enough.