To ask how you do your food shopping?

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I’m an online food shop virgin. I’m going to start doing it online to help me budget and meal plan. I’ll take up the new customer offers but I’m wondering g if any of them are as good as doing it yourself?
Has anyone got any recommendations?
I’m worried about use by dates mainly, and quality of fresh stuff, oh and substitutions.
I can imagine it would piss me off having to take things back to the store or throw things away because the date isn’t long enough
Tesco is appealing to me because of clubcard points but Ocado has good reviews.

Tesco online shopper here, I think the supermarket depends on your area - I wouldn't use our local asda online shop unless i absolutely have to, but the tesco one is ok!

Subs are usually better than ordered, but have had a couple where I have said i didnt want it, and they take it back straight away and refund - Have also had leaky milk (refunded by the driver) and a 4 pack of potatoes (refunded after a brief phone call when we noticed it)

short dates are highlighted on the receipt, so you can hand those straight back if you don't want them too!

Always had lovely drivers, getting some regulars and they really take notice, greeting us and talking about things we have mentioned at previous deliveries - almost all have been lovely...

we have a bit of fun sometimes too with the 'delivery notes' section - asked them to say certain things or put a friendly little note (one driver had no clue what Bazinga was so was hesitant to say it to DH, bless him)

Agree, it will depend of your local area - I use Tesco and have always had good service, wide range and no problems sending anyhting back. Our local Morrisons is rubbish and Ocado didn;t seem to have the range.

Try a few would be my best advice

I use Ocado and have a midweek delivery pass where a shop is scheduled for me automatically with the things I normally buy in it (you can edit if necessary). I don’t use it for much fresh food though as I prefer to choose my own fruit and veg.

We use Asda and no problems. Any substitutions have been to a more expensive version (only had 3 substitutes in nearly a year, so not bad going!) very friendly helpful drivers. We did try Tesco but they subbed or just didn't bring too many things, Sainsburys were ok but kept trying to deliver a lot earlier than booked (not always convenient). Ocado don't deliver to this village at all. Asda it is.

I always shop online, mostly tescos and sometimes Ocado. I may buy extra milk/bread/fruit in the week if needed. I love it but my only issue with Tesco is that they don't always flag up the best before dates if it is going to expire early and I only notice this when putting the shopping away. I avoid ordering for Sunday mornings, you seem to get whatever left on the shelves, short expiry dates and more likely to have substitutions. I don't have this issue with Ocado but it's more expensive.

I use Morrison's, like the website & have a delivery pass for midweek deliveries. Rarely any substitutions but you're notified in advance if there are.
Plus you get the money back for returning the bags so they can reuse them. This.

There are a few things that you can't get on-line - the really cheap "savers" tinned veg that DF likes, own-brand flavoured water, some local stuff that isn't in all the stores. But with a midweek delivery pass which will have paid for itself by Christmas, I don't worry about looking for the cheapest slot, or waiting until I've got a really big shop before ordering. So store cupboard is better stocked than it's been for a long while. And once you've done a couple of shops the process is really quick and easy.

Morrisons comes from a depot, not from your local store, or so we were told by one of the delivery drivers.

Really dislike Sainsbury's. My last two orders were poor. I ordered beef, chicken and salmon which all had a use-by date of the following day. The following order had a slimy lettuce and random tin of corned beef which I hadn't ordered. I phoned to complain and there was no one there to take my call.

Really dislike Sainsbury's deliveries recently. My last two orders were poor. I ordered beef, chicken and salmon which all had a use-by date of the following day. My next order had a slimy lettuce and random tin of corned beef which I hadn't ordered. I phoned to complain and there was no one there to take my call.

I tried all the supermarkets who deliver to me, and settled on Waitrose. I'm too disabled to go to a supermarket – I live alone now – unless it's the nearest Sainsbury's (taxi both ways) and I'm only getting a few things, as well as online shopping being my preference even if I weren't disabled. I hate shopping. Why Waitrose:

• This is the third location where I've used them and my experience has been consistent with each one. It's easy, relaxed, no hassle, I have the time to check on offers, and it's by far the best use of my time. Substitutions are rare now I've worked out which days and time slots are best (mid-morning every other Tuesday), and there have never been any of the crazy subs complained of in a thread here some months ago.

• There's no delivery charge; you have to spend £60 or more to get it delivered.

• As there's no delivery charge I order fortnightly. This lets me buy milk and other perishables to last two weeks or more, and freeze them.

• I've always liked Waitrose anyway although I do have quibbles with their veg occasionally – unripe summer broccoli; currently courgettes are teenage marrows, not courgettes at all. I've replaced them with frozen but am going to try growing my own next year. It doesn't happen often, and it's not a biggie. Otherwise I've always had quality produce I'd pick myself.

• I really like their own brand products - varieties of stuffed pasta, baked beans, pies, lasagne, tea. I keep a small stock of each (not tea!) in the freezer for the days I can't cook, although I really do like cooking, normally, and make the effort. All those are far better than any other supermarket own brands I've tried.

• Their deliveries are nearly always in the time slot I booked so I can organise my day. If the driver thinks they're going to be late they'll call me in advance.

• Waitrose aren't (at the moment) following the path Sainsbury's, and Tesco especially, have taken, in dropping branded products in favour of their own.

• The delivery people are friendly and efficient but they have time to have a quick chat with the customer. I've met some real grumps from other supermarkets. I have enough grumps of my own, thanks, don't need theirs!

• Most importantly, to me at least, Waitrose stock Isigny Ste-Mère products, all PDO; glorious, gorgeous butter and the original crème fraîche. Isigny is where it was invented and the same process is used today, with modern equipment, obviously, but there's just nothing else like it. Chemically soured cream it definitely isn't.

There are two big caveats in this, in that I don't buy meat from Waitrose, I buy it from Farmisons; and I'm not feeding a family so not buying all the stuff that time-poor working parents buying for kids, have to get. I don't eat crisps, and have the time to make biscuits and cakes if I fancy them.

From my POV, Waitrose are no more expensive than other supermarkets (Lidl and Aldi excluded); I think that expensive reputation comes because of stuff a family buys that I don't. I'm retired, I have time to cook and enjoy it, unless it's a day I really should rest and let the sawtooth spinal gremlins pass.

The website's a bit annoying but not difficult. It doesn't respond well to large text sizes so I have to turn off 22px minimum text size to use it more easily. That sorts the white space issue out, and Firefox's Ctrl+scroll up enlarges the page.

I use tesco online. It is great for keeping to budget as if you go over you can remove items before the due date. You can add and adjust your order until a few hours before it is due.
There is a section with each product where you can write a short note. If i want particularly long dates i will say here or only to swap with certain flavour for example. Generally dates are long and if they have short dates the driver tells me so can change my mind and he will take product back and give refund same with substitutions.
Happy shopping

I usually use ASDA. They are crap but the cheapest (£5 per month delivery pass)

Tesco service was better but my food shop was nearly 50% higher!

Ocado has a great sign up discount.

Asda are crap because of all the substitutions but to be fair, the food nearly always has a long shelf life.

Ocado is the only one I've tried with brilliant best before dates and zero substitutions.

Sainsbury's were awful - the last time I used them most of the fresh foods had a BB date that same day! And the delivery was 7.30PM - I was livid.

I would never food shop online. I am mega fussy about my sell by dates and fruit/veg that 'looks nice'

I've used them all at some point and none are as good as fetching it yourself especially if you are not buying packaged products. Asda are particularly poor. Ocado are good but expensive. Expect strange substitutes, short dates and missing items from time to time but mostly they get it right

I have used Morrison's for a few years and they have been good and don't often have missing items and not a lot of substitutes. They do a points scheme as well but does seem to take a while to build the points up.
You can just send substitutes back with the driver if you don't want them and they will refund. You can also request a refund on the app for a while after the delivery, about a day. You just select what you want a refund for a why, like squashed or not good quality etc. I have done that a few times and they just give you the money back easily. As have had strawberrys a couple of times that go out of date the day after and they are already looking a bit off. I wouldn't bother getting them but my daughter loves strawberrys.

I have never done an online food shop. I go to the supermarket and will continue to do so while I am physically able.

Tesco online shopping is a game changer for me!
Started getting it when my eldest was a baby and it's fab!
Taking a toddler and a baby shopping is quite literally my idea of hell, add to that a dodgy back it makes my life so much easier!
I also love scrolling through the app looking at the deals and offers how sad

Ocado.

Same slot every fortnight, auto fills with selected items I choose to have every fortnight, month or two months. Reminders about cutoffs for putting things in the basket, email with the substitutions before the delivery (one substitution in the last 6 months), ring when they are early or late, etc.

Not the cheapest but I'm happy to pay to not have to waste my time going shopping in person every two weeks (we have milk delivered and a large freezer).

I now can’t imagine going to the supermarket for the weekly shop. Online food shopping has become a way of life. We have the app on my and DH’s phone so we can both add items during the week. The amount of time saved has been huge especially leading up to Christmas.