Giant Peapod App and Special Requests

I never liked going to the grocery store and I don’t really miss it - except for certain items that are not available on the app that I know are in the store. We have been having our groceries delivered since March. We like Peapod because it is essentially managed by Giant employees vs Instacart where any random person can be doing the shopping. However, Instacart gives you an opportunity to virtually shop along with the person as they go through the aisles. Substitutes can be made as well as special requests. Peapod essentially just does the shopping at the defined time, then sends you what was substituted without a back and forth. Not all items have a substitution - like chives. So I emailed Giant to see if they might be able to add a couple of items to the options - angel food cake and a small bunch of cut flowers. They responded by saying they will send the request to the next level where decisions are made to add options to the menu. When I looked at the app today I noticed that they will be introducing a new website/app that might address my problems. It looks like they will be adding a whole range of new products as well as make it more interactive - like if you want hard vs soft peaches. So that will help a lot. I’m looking forward to seeing it because we have come to rely on grocery delivery. It’s kind of like opening gifts on Christmas to see what all is in the package. What I really dislike though is the scrubbing down of everything that comes in the door. It’s becoming more of a routine. But I don’t have to like it - whether the food was delivered or if we did it ourselves. 

Peapod, Instacart, or Amazon Fresh?

Unusual times bring on a whole different way of life. Only last week we were still going to the grocery store during the day. On Saturday night we decided a 1 AM run would be a good idea, so we ran in and out for a few items that hopefully will last for awhile. We have also been walking outside every morning but after watching the news from California we decided to stay indoors because we are in the at risk group. Every little twinge, sneeze, or cough raises concerns. So we thought we would finally try a grocery delivery service. I narrowed it down to Amazon Fresh, Instacart, and Peapod. Because we do most of our grocery shopping at Giant we thought we would try Peapod. The on line process was smooth enough, but in the end we had to pick one available time slot for a delivery for next week Wednesday - a week away. I’m not sure what the routine is, but everything was completely booked. On top of that, we live in a condo building with a concierge service. Rather than we picking up any packages in the lobby, the concierge will now be delivering to our door. We are trying to figure out the best way to “tip” for these unusual services. We are fortunate that there is no where we need to be and can stay at home without major disruption. We feel for everyone who needs to carry on outside - health care workers and service folks. I’m not sure what people do who have no resources, or internet, or family, or neighbors. Hopefully something good will come from all this. Until then, we can only take one day at a time.