Please explain to me why my brilliant idea wouldn’t work/doesn’t exist yet

[Dollywilde]

DH and I do do a ‘big shop’ either online or in the big supermarket, once every 10-14 days or so. Though obviously we need to supplement that with top ups of the basics - bread/milk/eggs/salad bits.

I’ve recently had DD (12 weeks old) and suddenly I’ve realised just how hard it is to ‘pop’ into the shops when we’re driving back from somewhere. It’s one thing when we have a quiet day and I can make ‘going to the Co-Op’ the focus with a walk etc but if I’m on the way back from somewhere the idea of parking up, going to the boot, getting out the pram, assembling it, getting DD out of the car seat, going into the shop, getting what we need, then the whole thing in reverse is just exhausting! Also often DD is asleep in the car and I know the whole process will wake her up whereas sometimes I can sneak her into the house without waking (sometimes!)

So here’s my idea: a drive through, but for basic groceries. Obviously I wouldn’t expect to be able to get complex or fancy stuff but you know when you stop at a petrol station after hours and they serve you from the Perspex window and the shop assistant grabs the basics you need? Like that, but a basic shop with multiple windows like the drive through at McDonald’s etc.

There must be a reason why this doesn’t exist yet. Is it that for most people, parking up and getting out of the car isn’t too tricky? But that’s true of McDonalds drive through and they still exist. I’m sure if there was a market for it it would exist... so MN, tell me, why doesn’t it?

I really need to stop pushing this 😂 but I’ve just remembered it came about because I was recently reading a book set in the ?30s which reminded me that people often went into a grocery shop with a list and then the shop keeper would take the list and get everything for them. It’s such a strange contrast between our move towards ‘drive through’ but also ‘self service’ which would have been really unusual in my great grandparent’s generation.

I’m in the us and we do have one of these in our metro area. They also do a more traditional click and collect. We can also order basic items from a store like target and they will bring them out to the car and load it for you. They prefer you don’t get our of the vehicle. The official lead time is 4 hours, but something like juice and eggs is almost always ready in minutes.

I’m in the U.K. and we have a drive through bank locally but no drive through shop!

[quote Dollywilde]@Darkestseasonofall oh I’d forgotten about those big vending machines! Only seen them on holiday like you say - very much not a UK thing.[/quote]
We have 3 farms within a 10 mile radius (3 different directions) that have vendy machines that have bread, milk, fresh cows milk, cakes and quick foods like soup, sandwiches, quiche etc.
Ayrshire here.

Get to know the people I. Your local corner shop. Mine would do this for me if I called.

A super speedy click and collect would achieve the same thing. Screwfix always seem to have my c&c orders ready in minutes, so you just need a supermarket to achieve that level of efficiency and you're sorted.

You will get more and more organised as your child gets older and more efficient with your child free time. Use ‘milk and more’ if needed for milk & bread deliveries. Having a baby to lug around is your new normal, everything becomes a bit harder and more time consuming.

Your thread is making me smile OP - DD is now three but between the ages of 4 months and about 7 months would only nap on me, while moving (it was Nov-Feb, brilliantly). My friend coined the term UST - Useless Shopping Trip - as I'd basically plan naptime around getting DD in the sling and walking down to the shops to buy one tomato or a carton of juice to justify the trip at all.

I notice that your DD is 12 weeks and I'd like to gently introduce you to the idea of the four month sleep regression

@Love51

Click and collect.

When I had babies I invented the idea if a drive thru pharmacy so you can leave the child in their car seat. Would be great about now.

We have a drive thru pharmacy in the UK where I live. As it's a wellknown pharmacy chain I'm surprised I'm the only one who has mentioned it thus far.

I think my DH used it once, I always park uyp and walk inside, but I do that at the drive thru mcDonalds too.

@Love51There's drive thru pharmacies in the US. As well as drive thru banks.

Some states in the US have people filling up your car for you and also will pop into garage to get whatever.

The bank is the only reason I head into the town centre these days.

Ooh, like if ocado's robots met click&collect for a small range of essentials (like you can add a limited range of selected products to milk deliveries).

Have you considered getting a milk delivery?

Vicky Wine on Leith Walk used to have the entire shop behind perspex. You asked for what you wanted and the assistant got it for you. Might even still be like that, if Vicky Wine still exists. Seen plenty like it in Glasgow too.

The Co-op are on deliveroo here.

I used to live near a petrol station with an M&S food shop attached and it was great! Kids stay safely locked in the car, and you can shop for pretty much everything while keeping an eye through the big glass petrol station window. The only problem was, it was pricey and always very tempting to nip in after a long day and buy M&S ready meals and posh desserts.

During lockdown, there were ads on my timeline for a corner shop type delivery service. Can't remember the name of it, but for £3-4 they delivered the sort of basics you'd get in a Spar. I assume that was mainly aimed at the hangover market.

@Dollywilde I would love this even though DD is almost out of toddlerhood. It's such a PITA to get her out of the car seat just to grab a pint of milk and a loaf of bread, she gets so cross having to get back in the car seat so quickly and there's no point going through all the trolley rigmarole for a 6-7 minute shopping trip, so I'm dragging her around screeching 'DON'T TOUCH NO WE'RE NOT GETTING A BLOODY PEPPA PIG MAGAZINE LEAVE THAT MAN'S KNEES ALONE'.

@EssentialHummus I’m the last delivery in my NCT group and am watching our WhatsApp group with horror on the 4 month sleep regression front 😂🙈

As well as drive-thru ATMs, pharmacies, coffee, and off-licenses, we also have drive-thru drycleaners in the US - something I've never used, and I can't really figure out the idea of dragging a nice clean suit or whatever through the driver side window. Maybe the clerk opens your back door and hangs it, I don't know.

I think your idea wouldn't work so well, OP, because as PP said, it's never just 'a pint of milk', it's got to be fat-free or lactose-free or oatmilk or something and it wouldn't end up being quick at all.

Probably too niche - as you say, it'd be a dream for when you're driving around with a sleeping baby, but in cities, where you might have the population density, a lot of people don't have cars.

Could maybe work in America where cities are much more sprawling and car-centric (and lacking walkable bits) and there aren't many 'corner shops' in the suburbs.

Why not put the car seat in a trolley? They even have special ones specifically for car seats! I think you're making it much harder work than it needs to be.
That's probably why they haven't invented it yet.

Before you could stream movies, I always thought a combined pizza and dvd delivery service would be good!

Where I live there are no supermarket online shopping deliveries what so ever. Also no take away will deliver.
However every pharmacy will deliver to anyone, and a bakery van and a frozen food van drives around constantly, stopping in every tiny village once per week.

There's also no milk man but there are three micro/ small breweries who deliver weekly...

Funny how essentials are different in different places...

I always have 3 weeks worth of food in, including long life milk and frozen bread, since long before covid...

Does your car seat not click onto your pushchair wheels? Then you don't need to mess around with the pram and baby stays asleep (hopefully!)

Either get a car seat that clicks onto your buggy frame, or put her car seat in one of the trolleys that, you guessed it, has a space for a car seat

Something like this?

I don’t think it would used much. I use a local milkman who also brings bread, butter, veg, meat, etc. I order online. I find that works well. I use supermarket home delivery for my big shop but like having fresh milk and the flexibility of getting extras at the last moment.

If I had a sudden need for something when my DC were babies, I’d just put them in the sling or pram and walk to the local shop. It was good to get out of the house and baby usually enjoyed the walk.

A drive-thru could only be for a small number of items and I reckon most people would pop to the shop themselves or plan ahead to always have extra. Get some UHT milk, freeze some bread, always keep basics in your cupboard and replace when you start the back up bag/penultimate tin or whatever.

I'm in the US. I can't think of anywhere you could do this for milk, but you can do this for loaves of bread and bakery stuff at all the local Paneras.

As others have mentioned, we have drive-thru pharmacies, banks and liquor stores.