The last thing you want to do after a full day of work is spend another hour roaming the aisles of a grocery store. Instead, log on to your computer or make a phone call during your lunch break to order groceries that will end up at your doorstep.
In recent years, online grocery shopping has grown in popularity and accessibility. Peoria’s own Schnuck’s (4800 N. University) offers Schnuck’s Express Connection, an online extension of their store which offers 15,000 popular items. After becoming a member (for free), users need only log in and begin searching for their items. Express Connection is not limited to dry goods-it includes fruits, vegetables and meat as well. The first trip down the virtual aisles takes time as shoppers weave through links to find the items they want, but the application remembers past shopping lists, making future purchases much faster. A $6.95 handling fee is added to each purchase; an extra charge applies for express delivery. If time is not an object, the store is accessible 24 hours a day, and instead of delivery, you can have your items ready for pick-up. Log on to schnucks.com/express to get started.
Haddad’s West Peoria Market (2407 W. Rohmann) also offers delivery service for a fee between $9 and $15, depending on where you live. Orders are taken by phone Monday through Wednesday and delivered Tuesday through Thursday. After a minimum order of $30 is placed, Haddad’s personal shopper gathers and readies your order for delivery. For more information or to place an order, call 674-0171.
Like Schnuck’s, Sam’s Club (4100 W. Willow Knolls Dr.) has an online store that accommodates groceries called "Click ‘n’ Pull." You just click, and they pull the items for pick-up. This option has many of the same features as Schnuck’s, but offers larger quantities and most items are not deliverable. But if you are able to swing by after work, it might save you time.
If the 10 minutes spent placing an order online or by phone sounds better than bumping into carts and scanning crowded aisles, take advantage of these local delivery and pick-up options and spend that extra time relaxing. iBi
