What’s the best supermarket delivery service?

[BabCNesbitt]

It’s that time of year where I have to renew my annual Tesco delivery pass, and like every year, I’m wondering if I might be better off switching supermarkets. Googling for comparisons just brings up information about who’s the cheapest, but what about reliability? Do Morrisons replace veggie sausages with pork ones? Does Asda regularly deliver late or leave out half the order? Are the joys of Waitrose products worth the extra £10+ a week? Has it been impossible to get a home delivery slot for your supermarket for weeks now? Inquiring minds need to know.

Switched from Ocado to Sainsburys when Ocado started working w M and S not Waitrose.

Find Sainsburys very good - very few substitutions, and I can get a slot long as I book a few days in advance. Also I am spending less as don’t have the Waitrose temptations! Waitrose own online service is pretty poor - still few products, so I’d avoid them.

Tesco all the way.

None of this "logging on to request refund for.missing items".... It's either subbed and you accept or it's not billed for.

Always on time. And the drivers are so friendly. Even throughout the pandemic.

Pickers can pack really crappy though, but a passing conversation with the manager soon sorted that (I was there for my own work reasons and just mentioned it) I didnt go in with the intention to complain.

I've used sainsbury's for 10 years. I also briefly tried waitrose, but the quality has declined. And they kept sending me chicken in an 8pm delivery slot which was out of date the next day. Their vague excuses ans total lack of apology pissed me off so much I never went back. Sainsburys is good value, so many products I like, easy enough to order. Still get some problems with use by dates but not too bad.

@PopsicleHustler that's unbelievable!! I'd be complaining to everywhere!

I've used all apart from Morrison's.

Currently using Sainsbury's. Purchased delivery pass £30 for a year!!!
Nectar points soon add up especially with eBay etc.

So far can't fault them. Quality of goods & dates have been very good. Delivery drivers great.
They've normally been early but phone me to check it's ok first.

Asda are dreadful for delivery. Click & collect is ok but too many substitutes.

Tesco used to be ok but couldn't get any slots with them. Not sure if passes are back on sale but the deliveries are very expensive.

Ocado was always great but can't get in with them!

I switched from Ocado when our weekly shop was becoming stupidly expensive. Our weekly shop (for 2 people) was regularly £100+. They are great for service, but even their substitutions started getting ridiculous when they started working with M&S.

Switched to Sainsbury’s in January and have been happy so far. We’re saving about £20-25 a week, a couple of subs here and there but at least they actually make sense.

Tried Asda once a few weeks ago and it was dire. Poor quality meat and veg, short use by dates and about 9 subs! They subbed things like lentils for chickpeas

Based on these reviews I could be tempted to give Tesco a go.

At the beginning of lockdown I tried the online delivery services of all the supermarkets, including Amazon Fresh, but had great difficulty getting anything. In the end I managed to get a priority slot for my elderly mother with Sainsbury's, who have been very reliable. I've also been getting Waitrose deliveries for myself and never really had a problem. Both supermarkets contact me if the deliveries are running early or late and very little out of stock or poor substitutions. I only wish both supermarkets have their "rapid" delivery services in my area where they'll deliver same-day within about four hours... 🌹

I do wonder how much of it is locally variable, whether quality of substitutions or availability of slots.

we've had a sainsbury's pass for years. I've never had issues getting a slot, not even in last year's lockdown. They are almost always on time (10 minutes late on Saturday was the first time in years). The products are fresh and substitutions few and sensible. Good shelf life.

I have weirdly had issues very recently getting fresh herbs. I wonder if this is a Brexit supply chain issue? Although they have everything in the Tesco next to work .

I can't fault Tesco. Very rarely a substitution. Good dates on items. And perfect broccoli every time 🥦

I use Morrison's because I have a delivery pass and can always get a slot easily. The drivers are nice and always arrive on time. That's about everything good I can say about them though.

I usually have about 6-8 substitutions and 3 items missing. You can't say no substitutions when you order which really irritates me. The driver will take them back but I always feel bad for them having to look through every bag to find it.

I often get given food like raspberries that expire on the day of delivery and have been thrown around so much that they're mouldy the next day. Or smoothie that had three days left when the normal shelf life is 6 weeks.

They send an extraordinary amount of bags but will only have one item in each and half my delivery not in a bag despite so many of them being practically empty.

I prefer Sainsbury's for delivery but can't get a slot easily. I can't wait to do my shopping in person again when I've been vaccinated!

I've got a midweek pass with Sainsbury's. They have been great since I started using them last March. I've just had a delivery, due between 9.30 and 10.30 and I got a call just after nine to say he was nearby and would it be OK to deliver early? As I was sitting here watching the end of the BBC breakfast programme it was fine. Only one item missing and it wasn't vital.

On a thread yesterday lots of people unhappy/happy with all of them so I think it varies locally. For me there have been many weeks when the only person I have spoken to face to face (except DH) is the Sainsbury's delivery person and they are always cheery, chatty while I load my boxes.

I used to use Asda but I got fed up with many things arriving which were in or very near the use by date. Infuriated me as clearly they just use delivery customers to clear the old stock.

I haven't tried any others as I possible to get a convenient slot

I'm a long-term loyal tesco customer. I have a pass and have only once had a cancelled delivery but the village was snowed in and I was informed. Substitutes are mostly good. Are always on time or text if they will be late (very rarely happens). The app is easy to use and you can talk to customer service. I'm disabled and they help if I ask. They have been brilliant in the pandemic with their priority slots for disabled not just shielded customers.
In 2019 I tried Morrisons, asda, sainsburys when my pass ended. I did a month of each - Morrisons were early and I wasn't back from school run twice out of 4 visits and they got cross with me.
Asda sent inappropriate substitutes and lots of them every week.
Sainsburys cancelled once and didn't inform me.
I did use ocado years ago and liked it but its expensive and I'm now disabled on benefits so not an option.
I do think though it depends which shop it's coming from/the delivery drivers in your area. My parents in a different area have had great experience with asda but not tesco.

Tesco work best for me. Can tweet them if there's any problems with the dates and they refund it.

Looks like sticking with Tesco is winning here! Thanks for the tip about using Clubcard points to pay for the pass, I hadn’t known that was possible 😊

@TheTurnOfTheScrew same here with the herbs!
I wondered if some haven't been delivered well or something?

We use tescos and asda. I prefer tescos for options and food quality but have had a few issues with use by dates. They are quick to refund though. Asda is usually a back up one, currently isolating as DD is positive and managed to get an Asda delivery for Friday last night. Tescos can be good like this also as they release extra delivery slots the day before but they go very fast.

You can select not to replace you shopping with alternatives if your worried about this.

Personally other than the use by date problem I’ve had very little issues with either Asda or Tescos

Morrison's. Apart from a few weeks last April we've had weekly deliveries throughout the pandemic, been very impressed with the limited number of missing items and very rare to have a substitution.

I'm very happy with Tesco but not at all happy with Asda.

I've had the best experience with Ocado. Tesco...I just don't like their produce all that much, although they do tend to give you more or less what you asked for. Except loose fruit and veg, which I've sometimes had weird things happen with. Like I ordered 5 x loose pink lady apples and got 2 x pink lady and 3 x ropey looking braeburns in the same bag! This wasn't a replacement, just an error. Their potatoes are often horrid IME too.

Sainsbury's and Asda, I find a bit hit and miss. Sainsbury's replaced my nosecco with shite sparkly wine with alcohol in it, for example. Asda gave me 6 beers I'd ordered for DH and they were just random! Not the ones I ordered and they didn't even mention them as a replacement.

But I do think it depends on where you live. I haven't tried Waitrose yet, as we have one walking distance away, so I go in person.

I use Tesco they're normally spot on , I used to love Ocado but for some reason they suddenly stopped delivering to my street, they'll deliver to the street in front, behind and either side just not mine 😞.

It depends where you live. It really does. I have lived in four places in the last 20 years. Always had food deliveries. Tesco currently best by far (except fruit quality can be poor). But last place, Ocado was best (and not expensive as I would use the deals - I'm not brand loyal). Then before that Asda was great and Tesco was really unreliable.

I find Sainsbury's the most expensive - wherever I've lived. Our £120 weekly shop easily becomes £140 with Sainsbury's!

I agree it depends where your live. Tesco are a fucking abomination round here. They always have slots but the stuff they turns up is going brown and dripping, half the order has been either subbed or “not available”. Asda on the other hand are fab, rarely any subs and if there are they’re sensible ones, but getting a slot is like finding gold. Aldi have started doing click and collect near us which is great but if they miss an item out you have to go back to the store for a refund and you can’t amend the order. Morrisons is usually brilliant here but I don’t use any others to compare.

Iceland is my go to, they don't have everything so I occasionally use tesco.

Iceland always have next day delivery available and free delivery if you spend £35.00

On the mainland unused Ocado. They don't deliver where we are now so stick to Tesco. In part through laziness, I have a delivery pass and the app is very easy, everything I've ever ordered is on the favourites list so easy to find etc. They stock a wide range of household and beauty stuff so a lot gets added to list. I've never had an issue with subs, cancelled deliveries, refunds etc.

I would like to try harder with Waitrose though, I just need to get through the initial annoyance of the set up.