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Inspecting Peapod Delivery: |
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| City/County | State | City/County | State | City/County | State | City/County | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cromwell | CT | Boston | MA | Fairfield Co. | CT | Cape Cod | MA |
| Hartford | CT | Watchung | NJ | New Haven | CT | Long Island | NY |
| W. Danbury | CT | Mt. Vernon | NY | Chicago | IL | Medford | NY |
| Montgomery Co. | MD | Rhode Island | -- | Baltimore | MD | Manhattan | NY |
| Fairfax County | VA | Washington, D.C. | -- | Milwaukee | WI | Indianapolis | IN |
| Philadelphia Co. | PA | Montgomery Co. | PA | Delaware Co. | PA |
Picky Eaters, Unite!
My first impression of the Peapod website was surprise. Not only did it have a wide list of categories, it was simple to navigate. Here's what particularly stood out during this first visit.- I clicked on "Browse
Aisles" to look around further, and found at the bottom of the page a list of a few specials for that week. My favorite bagels (Natural Ovens)
were on sale! This further impressed me, since Natural Ovens is a local company that only services local grocery stores.
- Further exploration discovered the "Express Shop" option that let me type my list completely - and then went through the list one by one, letting
me choose the quantities I wanted. I found everything on my list - from soy milk and fresh basil, to a toothbrush for Lauren and BornFree baby bottles
for Elena.
- The "Nutra Filter" option let me customize the types of foods I was searching for (dairy-free, gluten-free, good fiber, etc). The site will
bring only those qualified items up for my attention, speeding up my shopping.
- Although they have the brand-name stuff, I was pleasantly surprised to find the "Our Family" off brand products available as well. There is a minimum order requirement of $50 in order for delivery, but I figured that with a family of four to feed, that would not be a problem.
- With more than 10,000 products
for shoppers to choose from, Peapod boasts not just the expected selection of grocery basics, but also farm-fresh produce; restaurant-quality
meats and seafood; diverse prepared foods and party trays; deli meats and cheeses (sliced to order); Kosher, organic and specialty foods; a vast
selection of produce; a variety of beer, wine and beverages (in select markets); pet supplies; baby products; videos; office and school supplies
and private label products from supermarket partners.
Watching My Wallet
In these troubled economic times, I can't afford to make "donations" to grocery stores. Naturally, I want it all. Fresh food and cheap food. and then there's that delivery charge... will convenience and pricing be able to make up for that?Since it was my first order, I was already ahead. I had received a coupon code for $10 for my first order (use code CJN10 to get the same offer). That more than covered the delivery charge ($6.95 - $7.95).
- Side Note: You can get this same Peapod delivery discount if you're a new customer. Click here for your own $10-off coupon code.
As I added items to my cart, they showed up on the right side, showing me how much I had spent so far and cataloging my total savings. I LOVED being able to shop in real-time, allowing me to see when I had over-spent. In my opinion, this feature alone gives Peapod a shopping gold star. With that tool constantly available, frugal grocery shopping was a breeze. I easily kept within our budget, because I could see before I checked out how much my bill was going to be. If I was over, I simply "put back" a few items.
Checkout was also easy. I signed up for "Peapod Direct Check", authorizing them to take the money directly from my checking account. This gave me a credit of $1 on my order. I also choose to receive my order between 8 and 3 (I'm a stay at home mom), so I received an additional $2 off for that. So, even if I hadn't already had the coupon, I still would have only spent $4.95 for delivery.
Houston...We Have a Peapod Delivery
The delivery man brought in all my groceries. I handed him my manufacturer's coupons, and he discounted my order immediately. And yes, I did tip the delivery
man, because I'm nice.
I signed the receipt, he left, and my oldest, Lauren, excitedly helped open all our "packages". (She was particularly excited about the "pink cereal", a.k.a. Strawberry-Yogurt Cheerios, I had purchased for her.)
Everything was fresh and crisp. In fact, several items looked higher-quality than my local grocery store. It was like I had my own personal shopper picking out my food! (I had a "celebrity" moment of specialness...and then had to change a poopy diaper...)
- Update: A few weeks after this, I placed an order for Sunday morning Peapod delivery. We're gone at church in the morning,
so I was a little nervous to choose the "unattended" option. When we pulled up to the house, stacked by the back door were several large sturdy
containers.
Inside were all my groceries. Frozen items were packed tightly in dry ice - still frozen after several hours in the July sun! The produce and dairy items were also packed in dry ice, nice and cold. I kept the bins in my garage until the next order when they took them away (or you could call them for pick up). All of that was at no extra cost. I'm telling you, this is a mom's dream. (Especially a working mom's dream!)
What Was Perfect in My Peapod Delivery
First of all, I love the lazy-factor. I love ordering and having someone else do the shopping. I also have no complaints about the quality of the food. The prices seemed pretty similar to my local Piggly Wiggly (I'm not making that up, I actually do shop at a store called "Piggly Wiggly".)As for price, I could chose off-brand, they accept manufacturer coupons, AND I'm still getting offers in the mail for "free delivery", so I've not had to pay for delivery in weeks.
What Wasn't...
After a few months of ordering, I did run into some issues. First of all, I tried to order alcohol. Evidently, Wisconsin does not permit the sale of alcohol online. A minor hangup, but worth mentioning. Peapod will let you know of your state's policy before you checkout.Secondly, there was one occasion where they did not have an item I had purchased in stock. However, this didn't bother me, since they substituted with an "upgraded" item. I was able to make the recipe, and with something of better quality than I originally ordered.
Do I Recommend Peapod Delivery?
Although I don't order Peapod delivery every week, I like to place an order every month or so. There are just some weeks where I feel like if I have to make ONE more stop, ONE more errand, I'm going to burst. Those are the weeks where I break out my little coupon insert (from the mail) and look forward to being served. (In fact, I'm expecting a delivery this very afternoon.)If you live in their delivery area, I recommend giving Peapod delivery a try. At worst, you'll enjoy at least one stress-free shopping experience, and at best you'll start day-dreaming about how to spend your newly-found free time! (I think your baby may have a few ideas for you there...)
Coupons!
Philadelphia Area Residents ~ Save $20 off your first order at Peapod.com with code AFFL20
Manhattan Area Residents ~ Get $15 off your first order at Peapod.com with code NYCJ15
Not in those areas? Save $10 off your first order at Peapod.com with code PPOD10
You will also receive 2 months of free delivery (60 days) after your first order when you use any of the codes above.
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