apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

But I like going to the store... Grocery delivery is very convenient for those who are unable to get themselves to the store. Like my grandma.

I don't really keep a stockpile of items, I buy what I need so this wouldn't be too good for me. Now for my parents who are starting to develop eye problems and arthritis and who keep a neatly stockpiled pantry this would be perfect. No need to write and no need to read whatever you scrawled.

sure, but the really good stuff isn't in the grocery store -- it's at the farmer's market, the butcher's, the greengrocer's, the fishmonger's...

How is delivering to one's house "more sustainable" than walking to the local market? Um...

Have I read this wrong? Supermarkets don't deliver in the US? (Not that I use this in the UK, since I shop as Monica1 describes, by and large, but it is fairly usual. Is this not an imitation of the US then?)

I didn't mean to say this device was usual, sorry - just selecting products online.

...on the other hand, for the sorts of things you can't get at a butcher's, baker's greengrocer's, etc., this is pretty ingenious... (cat food, toilet paper, breakfast cereal, jarred tomatoes, juices, etc.)

...going to small stores or the weekly market isn't a problem for me -- I take the kids, no problem -- the older one walks, and the baby is in a stroller. But I find supermarkets a HASSLE -- there are no child-safe carts here (huge gaps on the side of the seat, where the baby falls through, no seat belt), you have to pack your own groceries AND watch the kids simultaneously (all you can do is trust that the electronic prices are correct in their system). In fact, I hate it so much, that I order groceries online. Problem is, the website is slow, and so it can be a cumbersome system. This would knock off some time and simplify it. The cost of the scanner is too high, but like all techie devices, will surely come down over time.

...ah, the joy of having this stuff packed and delivered to you (just got a delivery half an hour ago)... and it *is* more sustainable, as with 2 kids there is no way I can haul back a big shopping on foot from my closest grocery store (which is too tiny for a big shopping anyway), 1.5 miles away. The supermarket's delivery system is more efficient with respect to gas usage than were I to drive to the store.

It sounds ok in theory, but since my basket usually contain 5/6 produce (and I want to select it myself), hmm.

I think this a great system for non-perishables. In fact, it would make going to the farmer's markets and local produce stores so much better because I'll be more likely to have the other ingredients to make meals this way.

Not everything that makes your life easier is automatically unsound for the enviroment.

Since I love shopping at small local stores (and happen to work at one), I can't see myself ever really using this, except maybe for household things like cat litter, toiletries, paper goods, etc. I can't imagine it having any place in my kitchen, as I'm so married to the idea of being inspired by what's available at the specialty cheese/grocery store where I work, the small grocery store down the street that specializes in local products, or the farmer's market. Even staples like my sugar (organic raw cane), flour (King Arthur), salt (grey, pink, or fleur de sel), meats (locally sourced and ethical), and cleaning products (Mrs. Meyers!) come from these markets. I have relationships with the people I buy from, and I know that the people who buy from the place where I work have relationships with us. Not maintaining those relationships takes us just a little further away from the idea of slow food, I think. I wonder if Alice Waters would put one of these in her kitchen. :)