We tried our first food delivery program as soon as it became clear that quarantine was going to be more than just a couple week thing. We gave Shipt a go after hearing good things from friends in our neighborhood. We used it about 3-4 times before cancelling our subscription. Here’s why.

1. It costs more. There’s of course a subscription fee which I don’t have a problem with, but it feels like all of the products available just cost more. Plus you have to make an order worth it size wise or you’ll have to pay a delivery fee.

2. There are less options. I’m sure it’s impossible to have every single product available on the app that’s in the store, but Alex and I like our options. We like looking at all of the cereal or hot sauce available and picking what suits us in the moment. It’s impossible to do that when you don’t even know what the options are.

3. You don’t know if something is on sale. The app will tell you if a product is discounted, but you aren’t able to really compare prices like you can when you’re in store. It’s easy to see that the store brand is cheaper than the on sale name brand and to make a choice from that. 

4. It’s difficult to schedule delivery which I’m sure is due to higher usage since most people are trying to avoid going out whenever possible. But it also felt weird to have to organize and adjust your day to wait for groceries. This definitely wasn’t a deal breaker for us, but with the other things it just didn’t feel worth it.

5. It’s harder to use reusable bags because someone is delivering your groceries for you. I’m not sure how delivery companies would solve this, but it’s super important to me to use reusable bags. 

6. Substitutions aren’t great. If something is out of stock at the store your shopper will try and substitute something else for you. This could just be me, but I like to know exactly what’s all available if I have to make a different selection than the one originally planned. When you’re at the store yourself it’s just a quick look around to see other options. But when someone is shopping for you, it’s texts back and forth and the feeling that you’re wasting their time on what type of ice cream to get.

Grocery delivery services just feel like an unnecessary luxury for where Alex and I are at in our lives right now. We’re more than capable to put on our masks and head to the store ourselves. We’ll leave these services available for other people who need them more. Plus I’m sure when I have a baby at home and a mountain of work to get done, it’ll seem a whole lot more appealing. Until then, it’s back to regular old grocery shopping for us…or what normal looks like these days anyway…