From the Corner Store to Online Shopping...

It’s something we all need to do on at least a weekly basis, and most of us consider it a chore: grocery shopping. In the new millennium, most of us don’t think twice about that weekly trip to the supermarket, unless of course we do our grocery shopping online, but have you ever stopped to ponder how your grandparents shopped for the essentials back in their day?

A century ago, shoppers either went directly to a farmer, an open-air market, a dry goods store, or a produce seller, handed them their shopping list, and waited. The server behind the counter would then fill the order and pack it before handing it back over to the shopper and taking payment. Grocery stores during this era were generally very small, “corner store” type establishments; butchers, dry goods, bakeries, greengrocers, etc were all completely separate entities at this time.

Self-service shopping, where shoppers were actually allowed to touch the merchandise before payment was made, was born in 1916, with the “Piggly Wiggly” stores established in Memphis, USA. These self-service stores sold only dry goods and were called “groceterias”, as they resembled cafeterias in their style. Some shoppers found this new concept very intimidating.

Chain stores became popular from the 1920s. Most were small and had counter service; some offered delivery to homes and allowed charge accounts. Meat and fresh produce were still housed in separate stores.

The supermarket evolved in the 1930s and 1940s. These stocked all manner of produce; some were even “drive-through”! By the 1950s, supermarkets were commonplace and were spreading from city centres to the suburbs. Stores were bright and vibrant, and shoppers loved them. Everything was self-serve, and unlike the generation before, shoppers preferred it this way.

Between the 1970s and 1990s, warehouse-style mega markets became more commonplace. Merchandise was not limited to groceries, and everything from electrical goods to hardware and clothing became available under one roof.

The new millennium has ushered in the age of ultimate convenience. Shoppers can go to the supermarket, or choose to buy groceries online. With just a computer and an internet connection, the world is at one’s fingertips – and a big grocery shop can be completed quickly from anywhere and be delivered in a matter of hours.

What could possibly be next?

Our grandparents’ minds would have boggled at the very concept of being able to buy groceries online! Yet if you think about it, in a funny way, things have come full circle: to do your grocery shopping online, you submit your order; it gets filled by another, and then handed back to you. Just like in the old days...

Can Online Grocery Shopping Be Cheaper?

It’s time for the dreaded weekly trip to the supermarket. And today it just seems like it’s all too much. Can’t face the crowds? Got kids who you just know won’t cooperate? Is traffic out there a nightmare today? Is the weather too appalling to even consider going out?

Maybe you’re just not in the mood for shopping trolleys that have minds of their own. Or for dealing with rude and inconsiderate fellow shoppers. Perhaps you’re feeling unwell.

 

The good news is that you can buy cheap groceries online from the comfort of your home – and have them delivered to your door in no time at all.

One might assume that shopping for groceries online would be ultimately more expensive than doing it yourself. While it is true that you will have to cover delivery fees, and you might not be able to shop around yourself for bargains, buying groceries online can actually save you money overall. Here’s how:

• Save on Fuel and Transport – whether you need to drive two kilometres or twenty kilometres to get to your preferred supermarket, fuel costs do add up. Shop online and the cost of transport to you is nothing.
  
  
• Save on Parking Fees – more and more shopping centres are charging fees for parking – and these can be quite significant. (That’s not even considering the inconvenience of perhaps needing to park a long way from the supermarket – and pushing a trolley full of groceries through an open air carpark in bad weather is its own brand of purgatory).
  
  
• Take advantage of specials and deals – online grocery companies normally offer vouchers and coupons. For example - free delivery, $10 off your next order or 10% off.
  
  
• Some prices may be higher, but others will be lower – if you buy cheap groceries online from a great shopping service, you are assured that their priority is to always be competitive. Customer satisfaction is critical to their business – so keeping prices as competitive as possible relative to their service offered is in their best interest. 
  
  
  If you are like most people, your time is valuable, and you would rather spend it doing the things you enjoy. Or perhaps you are a professional, and your time is money, so taking a couple of hours out of your busy schedule to do your grocery shopping is both time consuming and costly.
  
  

Buy groceries online from a fantastic shopping service like Grocery Butler. It’s fast, convenient, stress-free, and reliable – and you are sure to ultimately save money.

Having a party? Let Grocery Butler do the Hard Work!

As anyone who has ever planned a party knows, organising everything for the big event can be an enormous undertaking. You need to choose a date, and perhaps a theme; you need to compose a guest list, send out invitations or e-vites, and collect RSVPs. When you know how many guests to expect, you then have to plan the menu, as well as activities (particularly if the party is for children) - and this is weeks before the big event! In the day or two before the party, you need to write your shopping list, clean the house, and shop for all of the supplies required for the party. Not to mention cook! The very idea is exhausting!

Shopping for groceries is, for many, their least enjoyed necessity, and perhaps the worst part of preparing to throw a party (until it’s time to clean up afterwards, anyway). Supermarkets are not fun places to visit, and unless you venture out to walk the aisles late at night, you will be competing with countless other people and their uncooperative shopping trolleys to get the job done. It is so much easier to buy groceries online.

Here is where Grocery Butler is available to help. We understand that time is precious and when you’re planning a party, the last thing you have time for or feel inclined to do is traipse up and down supermarket aisles with a list a mile long. With us, you buy groceries online from the comfort of your home or anywhere else you wish to, and before you know it, they are delivered to your door thanks to our friendly express delivery service.

Grocery Butler is your own personal shopper. Simply sign into our website, and place your order. Everything you could possibly need is at your fingertips, from bakery items to international gourmet cuisine; non-alcoholic beverages to sweets and desserts. No order is too big or too small – with a minimum order value of $25, you can even call on us when you realise you’ve forgotten a couple essential last-minute items.

No traffic, no petrol, no car parks, and no unsteerable shopping trolleys. What could be easier? Why would you ever not buy groceries online?

Next time you’re throwing a party, call on Grocery Butler to take the hard work out of shopping. We guarantee you will be delighted with our service, and not only will you never again plan a party without us, we anticipate you will be so hooked on the convenience we offer, that you will continue to buy groceries online into the future on a regular basis.