Peapod --- It's just like grocery shopping --- only FUN!
Written: Jun 11 '02 (Updated Jun 11 '02)
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Who would have thought it? With today's technology, you can sit on your couch all day, watch the kids play, and do all your "errands" without hardly moving a muscle. Even your grocery shopping can be done with a click of the mouse!
And that's where Peapod comes in. The ON-LINE grocery store that comes to your door. Peapod is partnered with your local grocery store, so your groceries arrive fresh and yummy right to your door. And all you have to do is wait for them to arrive.
To be honest with you, Peapod has come a long way in the last year or so. The Peapod of a year ago was nothing to rave about, and I had several not-so-great experiences with them. But it's come a long way, baby... and today's Peapod is bigger, better, and more practical for the average family.
I guess I'll start my story with the Peapod of a year ago... It seemed like a wonderful idea. After all, I had a $20 coupon sitting right here... two young children running around... and I wasn't feeling so well. I logged onto Peapod with great expectations, and was thrilled to see how easy it was to grocery shop.
After all, it does give you three ways to shop:
1. You can "browse" the "aisles"... little icons featuring veggies, bread, diary, etc...
2. You can type in an item to search for... like Pampers or Gerber.
3. Best of all, you can type in your entire grocery list, Peapod searches its database, and you can flip through the pages that Peapod brings up.
They even have specials! And you can use manufacturer's coupons, too. Just give your coupons to the driver, and the money will be taken off your next order.
But unfortunately, my experiences of last year were not so wonderful. I found several major problems with Peapod:
1. They were not priced competitively with the grocery stores. Okay, so I didn't expect a great deal, but I thought that a slight price increase plus the delivery charge might make it worth their while. But when I was buying "sale items" for $1, and my neighbors had picked up the same item at the grocery store for 33 cents, I knew that there was a major problem. And this extended to many different products.
2. Their meat is awful! This is actually my biggest concern with Peapod, and I still won't purchase meat from them at all. The meat was actually pretty expensive compared to the grocery store meat... you didn't have many choices (they actually had brand names)... and the chicken was very fatty and yucky-looking, and the red meat actually had shards of bone in it. (The steaks were tough, too).
3. When I ordered sale items, they were generally out of stock. I didn't realize this until I actually received my order, and then they had replaced the item with a more expensive (and smaller item).
I do have to say that there were other things that I really did enjoy from Peapod of a year ago. Of course, there's the most obvious benefit: I didn't have to leave the house to get my groceries. Plus, it was really easy to double check the pantry to make sure that you DID have that flour in there... or maybe you were out of vanilla.
Plus, there was the added grocery-coupon benefit. After all, how long does it take to figure out what you will and will not buy on sale. But here it is, right on the computer... just type it in, find it in your coupon book, and poof you have an instant deal.
But overall, I had come to the decision that Peapod was not worth my while. It was very convenient, but not very cost effective... and frankly, if I couldn't count on receiving the groceries that I actually ordered, what was the point.
But that was then. And this is now!
Over the past several months, I have received letters and emails from Peapod, talking about their "new" features and "improved" service. I even received another $20 coupon from them, and figured I'd give it a try.
And that's what I did. To my delight, they did a fine job. In the last year, Peapod has greatly expanded their product line, and carry practically every item that you could possibly imagine. In fact, they even carry my son's rice milk... not a product that you would see all the time... and they offered quite a deal on it. (Not to mention that it's pretty darn heavy if you order a lot---and the Peapod delivery people bring it right into your kitchen).
I've also noticed that they improved their reliability. Now when I order my groceries, I can count on receiving all the groceries that I ordered... and I don't have to guess which ones will be backordered.
Best of all, Peapod seems to have lowered their prices, too. Their prices now seem comparable to the grocery store (or only a little bit more expensive), and I'm not racked with guilt every single time that I order groceries from them.
I still haven't had the courage to try their meat. Those bone shards were really pretty gross, and I haven't had the courage to give it a whirl again. But who knows? Maybe that's in the past, and they've improved that service, too. You might as well try it once and see what you think.
The only disadvantage that I currently see is the price of their fresh produce. You see, they seem to price their produce by the PIECE, instead of by the pound.... it's very confusing, and seems very expensive. After all, I don't think that a single apple should be the same price as a whole pound of apples. You are better off picking them up yourself.
Overall, I think that Peapod has really made it. They've improved their service, lowered their prices, and increased their reliability. If you don't mind playing around on the net, it's definitely worth it... and it will certainly save you some time in the long run. Just remember to order in advance, and pick up fresh produce on your way home!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
foodallergy
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Location: USA
Reviews written: 44
Trusted by: 6 members
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