I ordered pick-up from Kroger

[Marthe48]

I haven't been in a store since 11/9, so I'm getting a little low on things I get at Dollar Tree. My local Dollar Tree won't enforce their own mask rules, so I stopped going there.

Anyway, I tried shopping on line at other places, such as Dollar General and Big Lots to get the items I wanted, mostly non-toilet paper products, bath supplies, air fresheners, etc. But if the store has one thing, it doesn't have the other. Or in the case of Dollar General, a lot of the stuff is in-store only, even though they charge for shipping. So I ordered from Kroger and was allowed to place just about everything on my list. I picked a pick-up time for tomorrow, so we'll see if I get everything I asked for.

My kids flat-out don't want me to go in anywhere. I don't really want my daughter or son-in-law to shop for me, so I guess it'll be hit-and-miss for some time to come.

Glad for the choices I have, glad I have what I have

[Srkdqltr]

1. I shop and pick up or have delivered from Kroger every week.

Haven't been in a large grocery store in a year. Kroger in my area does a decent job with pickup or delivery.

[Marthe48]

15. I've been using the Kroger curbside

and Instacart since April. My daughter was going to shop for me, but she won't take any money. I appreciate her kindness, but I am able to pay. I give tips to the vital and essential employees if I am allowed. They are my heroes

[Polly Hennessey]

2. I do Safeway delivery.

Happy so far.

[captain queeg]

13. I used Safeway for awhile. Mostly good and if you order nore than a cetain amount

Delivery is free and even get $20 off the order. Be sure to check items when they come. Most drivers are good but some are sloppy. One guy had about half my order mixed with half of someone elses. And when I pointed it out he started arguing. I told him fine, but you'll be back here in a couple hours to fix it and he finally gave in.

[Mr.Bill]

32. We started using a service called Instacart.

They go to several stores in our area such as Safeway and CVS. We pay a fee of $9.95 a month. Used it three times already and the only glitch is my wife wanted a pound of apples and they misunderstood and brought one apple. No big deal. It hasn't taken more than an hour or so so far. You prepay with a credit card and you can tip the same way. If they deliver alcohol, the person who placed the order has to show an ID at delivery.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

3. That's the right attitude. Think about the light at the end of the tunnel.

But stayin the tunnel for a while longer.

[SheltieLover]

4. GL with your order, Marthe!

I've not tried this yet, but it's time.

[Marthe48]

16. I might not ever shop in a store again

I've been using Instacart and curbside since April and they do a good job for me. And I feel spoiled! I miss the after Christmas sales, didn't do that much, but liked to go look

[SheltieLover]

23. I'm getting to that point myself

Thinking it's time for curbside pick up.

[Marthe48]

25. I like it a lot

gets me out of the house. Kroger employees use masks. I know they are busy, so I don't hold them up, but it is nice to say hi to someone.

I can leave non-perishables in the car for awhile, kill off germs

[SheltieLover]

27. Here, many employees "wear" masks under chin

Surreal.

Think I'll give Aldi pick up a try this week.

Ty for sharing!

[Marthe48]

29. Nice chatting!

hope it works out for you

[SheltieLover]

37. Same here

If I yive it a try, I'll post about the experience.

[Tanuki]

31. I have been getting my produce from two organic farms that offer curbside pickup.

I know you live in the Memphis area... are you familiar with picktnproducts.org ? You can find farms in your area that might offer something similar. And the produce has always been wonderfully fresh, and it feels good to support family farms. It's been a win-win all the way around.

[SheltieLover]

38. Ty!

I had no idea such a network was in existence! Found one only 25 miles away!

I very much prefer to support local farmers!

I will give them a call later today & see how it works.

Ty SO much!!!

[Mr.Bill]

34. I think I save money because it eliminates all the impulse buys I usually make

when I'm in the store.

[Tanuki]

5. I have ordered several times from Walmart online since the beginning of the pandemic.

I had not shopped there for years as a personal boycott due to their labor practices, so I acknowledge being something of a hypocrite, but these are desperate times. They have free shipping on orders of more than $35. I have bought lots of pantry staples, household products and personal care items. Good luck with your Kroger purchase!

[Marthe48]

17. walmart is closer to me than Kroger

I haven't shopped at walmart, but my daughter does. She'll get things there for me, but I don't give her a list. I did tell her about their curbside and delivery options.

[Tanuki]

21. I think I wasn't clear in my post. I meant delivery from a central location, ordered

online, shipped, and delivered on my doorstep in cardboard boxes, similar to an Amazon delivery. So that is only good for non-perishable items, but it has been a real boon for me. Most items have arrived in 1 or 2 days, and on a couple of occasions they e-mailed to say that the item was in stock locally and they dropped it off the same day at no extra charge. I have ordered quite a variety of products (rice, an oximeter, soup, coconut milk, granola bars, shampoo, peanut butter, hand sanitizer....the list is endless).

[Marthe48]

22. That is the service I told my daughter about

walmart did something years ago, and I didn't want to shop there any more. We shopped there in 1992, but stopped a year or 2 later.

Except for groceries, I rarely bought anything new, and when I did, I had an eye for bargains. lol

[Rhiannon12866]

36. Apparently Walmart does curbside delivery as well

I get my prescriptions at the one near me, recommended by my doctor as having less of a "markup" than Rite Aid where I'd been going. The pharmacy there has always been great to me, no complaints. And when I go, I always park in the parking lot closest to the pharmacy entrance - but the last time I was there, a worker came up to me and told me I was in the curbside delivery spot, that's how I found out about it.

And I know that Walmart isn't popular here, which I certainly understand, but I have to say that since this pandemic they have been one of the best, mask checkers at every entrance (early on they only had one entrance and exit for the entire store which was enforced), one way aisles, six-foot distancing marked at the checkouts and pharmacy and except in the very beginning, everyone wears masks. It may be because all businesses require masks here in New York, but this local Walmart has been especially good at enforcing the rules.

[SheltieLover]

39. Glad to hear!

Here, if I want anything beyond the most basic foods, such as frozen deep fried mushrooms or Philadelphia cheesecake filling, certain flavors of capuccino mix, etc., Walmart is the only option.

I'm glad yours is taking appropriate precautions & serving you well!

[Rhiannon12866]

40. I've always been very pleased with the pharmacy, so I'm grateful that I don't have to avoid it

During this pandemic. And they do have a variety of both grocery items and paper products. The only store that I've found to be more diligent is the pet supply store where I get my pets' food. In the beginning, they were limiting the number of shoppers allowed inside at one time, but that makes sense because it's a smaller store. And masks are required everywhere here in New York. It's been so long now that I think people have just gotten used to it.

[Marthe48]

41. Glad to hear it

In Ohio, masking remains hit and miss for customers, except Kroger, as far as I can tell. For the many people who must do their own shopping, it is nice to know there are so many options and they are more available than not.

[Rhiannon12866]

43. We have 2 grocery store chains in my area of New York

Hannaford and Price Chopper. And I know that Hannaford has curbside pickup - you place an order, park and they bring it out to you - since I know someone who does it. And I believe I've seen a parking area for it at Price Chopper, too.

And in order to go into any business in these parts, gas station/convenience store, grocery, pharmacy, bank, pet supply, auto dealership, a mask is required. And those are just places that I sometimes have to go and as far as I've seen, everyone complies.

But that doesn't mean that there aren't problems here, too. The newspaper has the latest covid reports on the front page. And this county is experiencing the worst spike in cases so far as a result of prohibited holiday gatherings. The latest is that they're forced to shut down the largest school.

[SheltieLover]

24. Good to know!

Ty!

[CrispyQ]

6. We have been doing click list with King Soopers, a Kroger owned company, since February.

They have waived their five dollar pick up fee. Overall they do a good job. If you have an option to insert comments, I've found basic instructions on produce selection has really paid off. Example, "pick firm apples with nice skins and no soft or icky spots." It makes a difference!

I am also thankful for the choices I have.

[Gothmog]

7. I have been using Kroger and HEB curbside for a while

I went into Kroger only to pick up a colon exam prep kit that I could get through drive through I like curbside

[Buckeye_Democrat]

8. I've got all my groceries through Kroger pick-up...

... since March.

I usually order enough to last me over 3 weeks each time, and I've been very pleased with it overall.

The only really bad experience was in early November when I had to wait over FOUR HOURS! Maybe they were terribly short-handed that day, but in the meantime I'd see lots of young employees gathering a few carts outside while not helping with pick-up at all. I finally stepped out of my car and asked one of them who was returning a couple carts (since it was clearly NOT busy inside the store given the numerous empty parking spaces) if I could get my pre-paid order myself, and he acted like he was high on drugs and shocked when I pointed out the long line of cars all awaiting to pull into the pick-up parking spaces behind me and others. He told me that pick-up customers weren't allowed to get the orders themselves, which I was more than willing to do after waiting about 2 hours at that point.

That was my only unpleasant experience, though. Every other pick-up at that store has been very quick for me.

Sometimes they supposedly don't have items, and it's always been weird for me. They've always fulfilled stuff like toilet paper, but supposedly not have ANY brand of pickle relish in the entire store?! I suspect that some of their employees forget items sometimes and then say "screw it" rather than walk back to get it.

[Marthe48]

18. Neighbors and I are sharing an order sometimes

We've been asking each other jic someone needs one or 2 things. I like to bargain hunt, but if the stores are going to make it hard for me to send in one order, I'm going to go elsewhere. I ordered things today which I don't usually get at Kroger's simply so I didn't have an item or 2 at Dollar General, 1 or 2 at Big Lots, things shipped from other stores. It would be confusing and harder to keep track of my purchases.

I really like the Big K diet ginger ale in cans and they never have it listed when I shop. My daughter got me 2 12 packs when she went in the store, and I'm doling it out to myself. Other than that, I have gotten what I asked for, and if they sub, they charge me the price of the product I ordered, not a higher price.

I haven't had to wait more than 20 minutes, 4 hours is a lot.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

44. It was ridiculously bad that day...

... and none of the employees offered an explanation such as, "We've had numerous absences today", so that was just my assumption. It honestly seemed more like some kind of anti-pick-up strike to me (lol), given the many other employees that I saw who were doing very little while the pick-up customers waited and waited with no help at all. Calls to customer service were immediately hung up when such calls were answered too.

Nothing like that even remotely happened all of the other times. There's never even been a line of cars for any of my other pick-up orders.

I ended up urinating in an empty gas container in my car because of the long wait, not wanting to lose my spot within an actual pick-up parking spot while other cars were in a long line that wound around the parking lot all the way back to a distant entrance! My initial wait in line was long enough, but nothing like that!

That's a great idea with your neighbors!

[Marthe48]

45. Oh man!

But you reminded me of a joke, and I hope that enough time has passed that you'll smile. -The one where the hospital nuns run out of gas and the only containers they have in the car are urinals they are taking to the hospital for the storeroom. They unpack one and walk to the nearest gas station, and carefully walk back to the car, and are carefully pouring it in. A couple in a car pass them, and the guy says, "Look at that! Another miracle!"

[Buckeye_Democrat]

46. Lol!

Thanks for the joke!

The next pick-up was great like all of the others, so I gave them a mulligan for whatever the heck happened that particular day.

[634-5789]

9. I shop...

Once a week, in the senior only early hour, and always mask up, glove up and carry sanitizer. When I get back, I clean whwere I touched the car and the stuff purchased. it's going to be like this until vaccinations, but it is what it is.

[regnaD kciN]

10. Have been doing that at Fred Meyer (Kroger)...

...since the beginning of the pandemic. Generally, they’re quite good, but don’t be surprised if a few items on your list get canceled when you come to pick them up. It can happen when lots of orders are getting filled at once. If the generic Kroger app is similar to the FM one, you can specify if you’ll accept substitutions on any given item.

[Sedona]

11. I'm super happy with membership Instacart Publix and CVS

Cool part is I put my mother's and daughters' addresses (all out of state).

I can order stuff to be delivered to them on my account.

Daughters are Covid positive with mild symptoms in Arizona both got pulse oximeters delivered within an hour today from CVS.

I send groceries to my 81 year old mom in Ft Lauderdale to discourage her going out (She's a Trumper and can't be reasoned with).

But she'll take the free food.

[keithbvadu2]

19. 'But she'll take the free food.' - Socialism is ok, eh?

[KT2000]

12. Here, Kroger is employing

young people to do the curbside. They are busy and are on constant run to fill the orders and get them to the parking lot. Seems to be working very well. Youthful energy helps too.

[Arkansas Granny]

14. I haven't been inside a store since early March. Online ordering and

Insta-Cart are my mainstays. Having things delivered is a little more expensive b but I'm not doing impulse buying, so it's pretty much a wash.

So far I've been mainly pleased with the choices made by my shoppers.

[keithbvadu2]

20. I tried the Kroger pickup system. Ordered $39 worth for no pickup fee.

I tried the Kroger pickup system. Ordered $39 worth for no pickup fee.

They did not have the two big items I wanted so it came under $8 but they did not charge the $4.95 fee.

I think it was because I allowed substitutions. Not sure.

They did not have substitutions in stock.

[SheltieLover]

26. Aldi has curb pickup & delivery service, too

Might try that this week.

[Marthe48]

28. My Aldi has delivery

But they don't have curbside at the one in Marietta, where I shop. The services vary from store to store. The one in Vienna, WV has both, but I don't want to drive over there. A relative in TN is going to see if their Aldi has Instacart. They'd like that They told me that one of their friends got their order from Kroger and someone else's. They called the store, which told them to keep both orders, no extra charge. My friend in Cleveland said the stores aren't taking things back.

I got a gift for Christmas from a farm supply. The gift wasn't what the person ordered, and I am getting the correct order, and they told them I could keep the error. I think they will all be working on accuracy!

[SheltieLover]

30. Wow!

Sounds like they are taking a hit on errors!

Good they are being extra careful, though!

I was in a farm store near Memphis a couple of months ago & big sign: "no returns due to CHINA virus." Emphasized that way.

I think instacart charges for delivery, don't they? Or marks each item up 15%? Seems I read that somewhere.

[Marthe48]

42. Instacart charges 4.95 + suggested tip

I think there is a $35 minimum order, so I only shop Aldi's a couple times a month. Kroger has waived its curbside fee and I don't think they have a minimum purchase requirement.

Tipping is about the only money I'm spending aside from groceries, and I'm glad to give the shoppers a boost.

[haele]

33. I do that twice a week or so.

At the Ralph's (Kroger in San Diego) on Montezuma Ave, their curbside pickup manager, Luis, is the best - he keeps a list of regulars and their allowable substitutions, and if I make an order early enough (around 7am), he will hunt out any Diet Dr. Peppers (the only aspertame based soda Laz can drink) he can, or call other Ralph's to see if they have any -then he will call me and tell me if I will have to order pickup from a different store immediately.
I can also call if I forgot something on the list and they will go find it and add it to my order - once, I asked for a quart of milk while they were loading the hatchback and the curbside delivery person ran back and got me one, scanned it when she got to the car, then loaded it in with the rest of my groceries.
True, you can't get some things you would get shopping in store (especially cost per pound items), but for most pantry and refrigerator items, they are the best. Lowest fees if you don't order the minimum also($30), unlike Vons which requires a minimum purchase just to order.
Even when things open up, I still intend to use curbside, it's just convenient.

Haele

[retread]

35. We do weekly instacart curbside pickup at local Publix. Prices are higher than if we

shopped in store, but way cheaper than hospital and funeral expenses.

InstaCart is available for local Fresh Market and local Whole Foods does free curbside and delivery for Prime members.
CVS and Walgreen have on line ordering and drive-thru pickup in addition to home delivery.

We like the curbside pickups at the various stores and call them "road trips!". (A little pandemic humor)

Now if we just had a use for all the empty Amazon and Chewy boxes.