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?

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

Egg and home made egg pasta vending machine

Wait. What? That looks like the kind of vending machine that pushes items off the shelf and they fall down to the bottom where the hatch is. But with EGGS? How does that work?

GroundAlmonds they are gently lowered to the heavily padded hatch. Ive used them loads of times - never had a broken egg.

I use the milk vending machine too - put your own bottle in, put coins in, press a button, milk comes out...

Fabulous.

This one is outside a butchers

Maybe because your one or two bits is not my one or two bits. So you'd have a shop with quite a lot of bits. Then someone needs to fetch those bits - is there a limit? Five items? Think of Argos - you look, you order, you pay, you wait. In your case in a car and I can see traffic building up and up...

My way round your problem would be:

1. Stockpile. You can freeze milk too.

2. Doorstep delivery. Regular supply, so you're less likely to run out.

3. Early morning grocery deliveries. You'd need to spend £40 or whatever but some supermarkets deliver from 6am and, pre-covid, you could book a next morning delivery in the evening, so have your milk etc in time for breakfast.

I think previous generations would have sent a child to get it. Even if they didn't have one of their own a neighborhood child might have helped. Or people used to borrow from each other more.

I remember being sent to the shops for one or two items when quite little.

Would likely be considered too unsafe now!

Haha. That's click and collect!

I would love that OP. Taking two toddlers in to the supermarket is far too stressful! We get weekly deliveries but I could often do with extra bits throughout the week.