Fill your pantry from the armchair

By KATE FOREMAN

Supermarket shopping can be hellish. Always getting the wonky trolley and the longest queue, lugging bags that spill to and from the car - a drudgery offset only by honing the art of bargain hunting.

So is it possible to bypass the dreary routine of food shopping yet still feel the thrill of the special from the comfort of the computer chair?

Well, yes it is.

Parnell resident Chris Bell has been shopping at Woolworths online for just over a year. He finds it convenient and cost-effective.

"Basically it couldn't be easier, just 10 minutes on the computer and all my shopping is done. I've had very few problems, in fact only twice in all the time I've been using them and that was due to courier error and was rectified more or less immediately."

He likes the quality of the fresh produce and the option to specify the ripeness of items such as bananas and avocados. Daily specials help offset the delivery charge (now relative to the value of the shopping).

As he points out, it's about the same as the cost of petrol and parking when you physically visit a store.

My personal experience of online supermarket shopping confirms this. I used the Blenheim-based www.thesupermarket.co.nz, sadly no longer running - the full story is explained at the website.

But when it was in operation, I found the customer service excellent, especially considering that the orders were sent from the South Island.

Amusingly, many of the products were manufactured in Auckland, so they must have made a return trip.

The one time I had a problem with goods, replacement products were couriered the next day, a service my local supermarket does not offer.

The first visit to any online supermarket will take some time as you learn what's on the "aisles", and can be delayed further depending how many graphics are used.

More photos of products equals slower ordering. But this is a minor setback, and as your shopping list can be saved and reused or altered accordingly, it is no more hassle than changing supermarkets in the real world.

I found it much easier to keep to a budget with the calculator ticking on my shopping basket, and was not tempted to impulse buy to the same extent. Once ordered and paid for by credit card, my order was delivered within 24 hours.

If a more specialist shop is what you're after, it can be found with a bit more searching.

At Organic Fresh, I was impressed with the comprehensive selection of goods on offer - everything from fresh organic fruit and vegetables, household products, canned goods and more were available at competitive prices for genuine organic products. The delivery charge is a very reasonable $5.00, and drops off once the order reaches $60. All orders are couriered to your door within 24 hours.

Guests who came for dinner at the weekend were treated to taste testing with organic versus supermarket produce. Although the organic fruit may not win any beauty contests, the taste and texture were far superior.

If you don't necessarily want organic produce, then you might like Harvest2Home, where seasonal fruit and veg are delivered straight from the markets to your door.

There are several options, from a deluxe fruit box of 10 items to a "pick your own" box. This allows you to select items to a dollar value, for example choose 7 items for $15 or 17 items for $30. Delivery is free in Central, South and East Auckland. A $2 charge applies to other parts of the city.

To order quality meat online, try Meat Cuisine. They offer lamb, beef, chicken and pork in a variety of cuts at prices that are in line with most supermarkets.

Within Auckland delivery is $5 if the order is lighter than 20kg. Charges increase for delivery outside Auckland.

If cooking is not your thing, or you are catering for larger numbers of people, a good site to look at is Best Ever Tasted.

Here you will find an appetising range of soups, hummus, antipasto platters, nuts, gourmet cakes and much more to tempt the taste bud.

Delivery is free with a minimum order of $20, and although this company targets businesses in central Auckland, it is happy to accommodate large residential orders.

Those that feel they can resist the urge to try an online shop but still like to organise things from their computer might like the Grocery Shopping List Manager software available from Castlesoft.

Or you could use a pen and paper - a method I have found to be particularly effective.

Links:


Woolworths

The Supermarket

Organic Fresh

Harvest2Home

Meat Cuisine

Best Ever Tasted

Castlesoft