Why do you go the supermarket rather than have food delivered?

[Sweetpotaro]

I took my 2 kids to a big Sainsbury's today whereas we normally have a weekly home delivery. It was awful with them messing about etc.

There were, however, lots of other families there.

Why do you choose to go to a physical supermarket rather than a weekly delivery? Is it:

• you enjoy browsing (but with kids in tow - is this not really stressful??)
• you don't spend the minimum spend (I think £50) to get delivery?
• you want the yellow label items?
• you see it as an outing out the house?

Each to their own but interested in other perspectives.

Because I shop in Aldi because it's cheaper, and they don't deliver. I really don't love going to the supermarket, but I'm very quick at it. I don't take my children (they are 16 and 18!). If I didn't shop at Aldi, I'd order online.

Yes, this! I have ordered on occasion, if I am short of time or such, and I once was sent some beef mince instead of plant based. I am a vegan, what am I supposed to do with that? In fairness, the threads about mad supermarket substitutions are very amusing, and I know some people have had better quality substitutions if a budget product is out of stock, so that's good-unless you genuinely prefer the cheaper product I suppose?

Now I have said that, I once got an expensive brand of apple sauce instead of their their budget 'own brand' version. I buy cheap apple sauce for a reason (I bake with it, egg substitute) and the more expensive stuff doesn't bind as well as the cheaper one, and also has more chunks of apple in it which for baking, I then have to pulverise out.

I do both, I have Tesco plus and to use the 10% big shop vouchers twice a month you have to go in person. I find even I shop online I tend to buy the same things I've sent over and get bored, briefing you see things you've but had flue a while or new ingredients or ideas, ours has a really good world food section but delivery comes from a different store with more limited options. So I tend to do two big shops in store and two top up and store cupboard shops online a month

Oh and I don't take DC!

I never go shopping with DD.

I like perusing the shelves, picking up a new book or some bits for the house etc. Its just two of us so I dont buy loads so it is perhaps more manageable than a shop for a large family.

I hate online shopping. I hate getting it delivered and finding things missing or close to their Use by date

I WFH and going shopping can be my only face to face interaction with people outside my family all week and a change of scenery particularly when the weather is bad.

My mum order 10 X large individual oranges, they didn't have them in stock so substituted them - not for 2x bags of 5 oranges which would have been sensible, but 10x bags of 5 oranges, 50 oranges to get through was a mission and fairly ridiculous.

No kids here, I shop 3-4 times a week because i don't like planning ahead these days. I prefer the freshness too. Supermarket is 5 minutes walk from my house

Ti get oot the hoose. Quite happy deein’ my ain shoapping.

The expiry dates and the crazy alternatives they send.

I'd rather just go. It's easy on the way home from work, I get the best dates, no waiting for a delivery. If something isn't on the shelf I can substitute rather than getting nothing or relying on someone else to substitute what I would actually want. I don't think Aldi deliver do they anyway?

i would happily never , ever set foot in a supermarket ever again!!!

pre-pandemic I wouldn’t have dreamt of doing an online delivery, purely because I was so disorganised with meal planning etc and never knew what I would be eating one day to the next.

Since the pandemic I’ve got much better at meal planning, and I continued with deliveries once in a while. Then my partner moved in and he refused that we should pay delivery, and he likes browsing the yellow labels. So now I make a list and he goes out and gets the food, and I cook it. If we ever break up, I’ll go back to deliveries!!!

Oh and edited to add - pre-pandemic I also never would have been home enough to be able to plan for a delivery to come. I hated the idea of sitting at home waiting for a delivery on an evening when I could be doing something else. Now I just get it done if I’m working from home.

Pre pandemic I had an Ocado or Waitrose order for years. Then I couldn’t get one so I started shopping in person. I’ve got a butcher, fishmonger, Booths and M&S nearby and I much prefer the choice in the shops now. I shop at 7-8 am or 9-10 pm depending on where I’m shopping.

Because I don’t like the best before dates on items when purchased online and because I find the fruit and veg variable I much prefer to pick it out myself

I understand the convenience of delivery and it's OK for non fresh food items. However, there's no way I am buying meat, fish, fruit or vegetables without looking at it first.

My local aldi doesn't deliver but I order pick and collect at tesco.

I prefer to do my own shopping, choosing my own produce, getting the yellow stickers. I have never ever had a supermarket delivery, ever.

However I do work for myself, self-employed, and only ever took the kids to the supermarket when I had no other option.

Because i like to look to make sure my Berries and other fruit aren't manky or to ensure the meat looks nice and not a close use by date.
I go when they're at school though or an evening.

I only take the dcs if I have to get a few bits.
Occasionally a click collect if its stock up on general cleaning essentials, toiletries, toilet paper, tin beans etc . Things that ' can't be bad or rotten '

I do a big click & collect shop every 2-3 weeks, I'm not keen on home delivery because of having to empty the boxes quickly and keeping the dog in etc.

In between I do top up shops in cheaper places like Aldi or just our local Tesco express.
We get hello fresh boxes too.

My kids are older now but both together still do my head in a bit and I always spend more when they're with me!

I wonder if the substitution thing varies from store to store. I have done online food shopping for about 10 years now and have never had any of these random subs that ppl mention on these threads, like chicken nuggets instead of chicken breasts. Always found Asda to be the worst for subs though. Mainly do Tesco these days and when I do get subs (definitely not every shop) they are generally pretty good options.

I really love food shopping

I would prefer to have my shopping delivered BUT I'm too chaotic.

I never plan or prep in time. I'm more of a 6pm, "Shit, what should we have for dinner - do we actually have any food in?"

Then it's a 7pm trip to tesco.

The following day it's, "fuck, we're out of cat food."

Another trip to tesco.

That's basically my life. I wish I was organised enough to meal prep, check through the fridge, cupboards, etc. And do a weekly or two weekly delivery.

The very, very odd occasion I'm prepared enough to put an order in, some of the stuff doesn't arrive and I end up going out anyway.

I do both.

My main shop is delivered. But I like to go in sometimes to browse. I take my kids so they can learn about shopping.

I used to enjoy the hour (s) wheeling my toddler around before going home after school & when he got older just wandering around in our mega Tescos on a dark, wet evening. However I appreciate this might have been difficult with more than one 😆

My kids are grown up now, but I remember going to the supermarket with them was an excuse to be out and about with them. They enjoyed it and so did I, plus it was a learning experience for them. Not only because of the chat we might have about the food on the shelves, what we'd make with the food etc, but also how to behave whilst out in the world and amongst other people. As they got older they liked to help, getting things from the aisles, packing the shopping etc.
Seems a shame to remove this time spent together I think.

I like to choose the food myself, I look for the longest use by dates. I check out the reduced aisles. I like to have a browse upstairs at the clothes and home departments. I like using the scan and shop device!