i love Gourmet olives and my grocer suggested i shop on line any ideas

Get your olives here: http://www.gourmetgroceryonline.com/olives_and_onions

Safeway(or Albertson) is offering grocery home delivery service in selected areas. I am looking for some statistic and some numbers that breaks down the delivery cost structure:

1. What is the volume of online orders per day per store?

2. With this volume and at about $8(for 4 hours delivery window) and $10(for 2 hours delivery window) per delivery, is Safeway making or losing money on the delivery?

3. For the same dollar amount of the order, will Safeway make more if people just visit their stores? How will that change if volume pick up?

4. What is the break down of the cost? i.e. how much it costs to pick and prepare the order? How much for storage before delivery? How much for the actual delivery cost, which can be further broken down to driver, truck and fuel cost?

5. Albertson also provides store pick up service with $5 fee. Is it a popular one? How many orders are delivered vs how many orders are picked up by buyers?

I think they will loose money on that deal. For one, between gas and salary, it probably costs an average of $10 to make that delivery. And two, it has been proven that people will purchase way more if they are actually in the store and subject to advertising and are able to see things they didn’t realize they needed or wanted. It’s a great service for elderly and handicapped customers but I believe that on average they will actually loose money on the transaction.

Considering the rising costs of fuel, and the increasingly hectic lives we live, and traffic snarls… could Grocery Delivery Services be a small part of the solution? One vehicle going to the store to pick up food for multiple households rather than each individual driving themselves?

If you think this might be a valid idea, what do you think would be a reasonable amount to charge, considering the money you would be saving people in fuel costs, and the time they would save as well.

Just looking for some friendly input.

This is a great idea, it’s not your fault it’s already been thought of. As the other answers point out, this is already available in many markets, although I’d be curious to know what the market penetration is. 50% 80%? It’s certainly available in Manhattan where I live.

It’s possible more people would use the service more if there were better quality control, large clear pictures on websites, a better interactive experience etc. The service is relatively new and perhaps the idea hasn’t been executed or advertised as well as it could be (or will be).

In prior years you could take a Coke can or a coupon from the grocery store and get a discount on a ticket. Is there anything like that this year?

Check on this coupon code from six flags tickets. This is from this link http://askfreehunters.com/joomla/coupons/61-ticket/672-ticketsatwork-coupons.html

I mean we have the price listings of electronics and furniture and just about everything else, but when it comes to food they never list the prices on the internet. Going to websites like trader joes or McDonald are useless, no pricing information. I know prices may varies from franchise of different location, but why can they disclose price for different location simply by typing in the location?

Those are not the true reasons why. The main reason is that at trader Joes, not only do their prices vary from region to region and things come and go often, but their prices change on a daily basis. Literally.
As far as McDonald’s and fast food restaurants go, they are just evil. Their business relies more on their customers lack of knowledge than anything. The less their customers know, the better off they are.

Are there any good Online Wholesale Grocers in Canada? I want to order bulk items online.

Hello you can wholesale online ,and retail in your country,that will savy money.
such as www.ebay.com
http://www.ebsilk.com/

Would anyone have a clue as to the order of soup cans in a grocery store. They definitely are not in alphabetical order. I find myself constantly scanning every row in search of what I am looking for.

Is there any logic to how they are put on the shelves?

Product placement in grocery stores is very deliberate. There is a big benefit to being at eye level. Companies actually pay stores for prime shelf placement.

Don’t expect alphabetical or any other logical rule to shelf placement. Stores will put whatever is most profitable, or most popular where it is easy to find. Other items will take more searching.

BUTERA OR ALDI

I am thinking of starting a small grocery delivery service. Basically I will buy groceries for busy professionals, seniors, new moms and anyone who doesn’t have time to go to the grocery store. I was thinking of charging $20 for any bill under $100 and 20% of the bill for orders of $100 or more. I was also thinking of charging $10 to bring in the groceries and put them away.

Is this reasonable? Would you or anyone you know use this type of service?

I would definately pay someone to do that, if i was any of those things you said. I think it is a lovely idea, especially for the elder population and new moms.

But.. I think the $20 is a little too much if the bill is under $100. Maybe you could make if 15 or something, it sounds more appealing.. Otherwise you could start on a low price, and raise it when your business gets more popular..

But all in all, i love the idea, and i would definately consider your firm if i was a new mom, old, or any of the other things.

Good luck with the business!

My fridge is getting pretty empty and i don’t have much money aside for food. I like all fruits except oranges, any veggies are good, and i like to eat organic stuff like organic meats. I also like seafood. Since the recession has come food prices are going up and i can’t buy everything i like. I need your help to make a cheap list that can still provide me with a healthy diet.

Budget;20$

If you don’t mind doing a little cooking, it’s easy to eat inexpensively on the cheap! You will pay a premium for organic foods, so you may want to consider how strong that preference is. It will cut into your budget.

Beans and rice can make a healthy and very inexpensive alternative to meat as a complete source of protein (you need both to get all the amino acids, each individually will be missing some). I typically used canned beans and cook them right in with the rice using my rice cooker (but doing this in a pot works well too). You can add flavor by mixing in some diced vegetables (onions, peppers, and such) and/or cooking the beans and rice in broth instead of water (or tossing in a couple bullion cubes).

You can make chili quickly and easily using canned kidney beans and/or lentils (I like lentils in chili as they have a nice meaty texture), diced tomatoes, green peppers, onions, soy sauce, a little hot sauce, etc. The nice thing about chili is that you can improvise! Adding meat is totally optional but if you do, use ground beef, or if you prefer, ground chicken or turkey. If you make a vegetarian chili consider serving it over or with rice.

If you like salad, you may be surprised to learn that bagged salads actually work out to be cheaper than making the salads yourself. Testing by the media actually found that making bagged salad results in less waste than making salad from scratch, and the cost savings the manufacturers have by wasting less food in production more then makes up for their packing and shipping costs.

If you like to eat meat, chicken is much less expensive than beef. You’ll pay a premium per pound for boneless meat over bone-in, but you’ll pay less per pound. Still, you get more meat for your money buying the meat with the bone still in and removing it yourself (or eating around it).

Macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite comfort-food side dishes. To make a complete meal, mix in some tuna fish (I prefer to by the pouch kind as there’s no water waste and the texture is much better) or serve it as a side dish to chicken or something like that.

Finally, get in the habit of clipping coupons, and if your store offers a discount card, get one (don’t just use the store’s card, if you use yours they’ll usually mail you coupons from time to time). If you watch prices and combine coupons with the sales, over time you’ll find that sometimes you can get items for free, or nearly free!