What type of person buys groceries online?

Ellen Gray wrote an interesting piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer asking is it worth getting groceries delivered as she shared some of the very arguments made by my mother and aunt along with profiling the type of person who is having groceries delivered today.

She says that 6% of us buy our groceries online more than once a month but I’m sure that doesn’t factor in the millions who purchase at least a few items online in lieu of adding them to their shopping cart in the stores like toilet paper and paper towels, soaps, razors, spices, diapers, etc.

Read her article if you’d like to compare the costs and other details involved in shopping for groceries from Amazon, FreshDirect, Instacart, Peapod, Philly Foodworks, and ShipT (I had no idea there were so many). Each one fills a particular niche for the various type of needs you have as a shopper as well as different fees and membership options.

Two things are rather certain if you plan to get into the big time grocery delivery game, you’ll need a credit/debit card and the internet or smartphone. Those little details disqualify many people who probably could benefit most from a food delivery service. If you are poor, living in an area without a grocery store nearby, and don’t have a car, chances are grocery delivery by these services won’t work for you. I didn’t read in any of Ellen’s descriptions where any of companies will take EBT cards as a form of payment.

In Chester, there’s a Cousins Fresh Market that delivers within Chester for free. You have to have at least a $60 order and they take your payment at the door. They do take cash, credit/debit, and EBT. Call 484.483.2500 and put in your order if you’d like to shop like my aunt.

Ellen Gray’s article: https://www.inquirer.com/things-to-do/grocery-delivery-instacart-amazon-shipt-worth-it-20200303.html