We've all been there: lying awake at night, thinking about the next day's to-do list, and wondering how to get everything done. Some people like to count sheep to fall asleep, I like to count all of the things that could be taken off my list if only I had a personal assistant (grocery shopping, for example)...but who can afford that?
Then, one year ago, Loblaws actually made my dream come true with the launch of their Loblaws Click and Collect program at my local store. What a treat to order my groceries online from the comfort of my own home, and have a trained personal shopper do the work for me. All I have to do is drive into the specially marked parking spot, phone in to the store and have the groceries brought right out to my vehicle.
"Ah, but what's the cost for this dream-come-true service?", you may be wondering. The cost toshop Loblaws groceries online is...wait for it...drumroll please...either $3 or $5, depending on the day and time of your pickup. Really, that's it. The cost for the items is the exact same as in-store, and you can even link up your PC Plus account to earn points as well.
Even if I pick up my groceries at a peak weekend hour, it is still totally worth $5, not only for the time saved, but also because I'm sure that I cut 5 bucks off my order by not taking children into the store...and let's be honest, adults make impulse purchases too!
We are all so busy (my readers know that I'm a teacher, freelance writer and TV guest), with lists of errands that can be pages long, and Loblaws has really helped to ease that burden. It seemed like every weekend we'd vow to get groceries on Friday, and then it wouldn't happen. Saturday for sure, we would say, and then Saturday would fill up with kids' activities and yard work. Definitely Sunday then, after we prepped for the next school day...which usually meant a stressful last-minute run to the store so we had something to put in Monday's lunches!
Now, I order online, often while at my treadmill desk, or sometimes even sitting on the couch crashing at the end of a work day. Then only minutes are required to drive into the Loblaws parking lot and do the pick up. (I've trained the girls to do the unloading and putting away of groceries, so that's a time-saver too. I highly recommend you get your kids started on household chores as early as possible!)
While my kids are older now (ten and eight) and thankfully past needing to be buckled and unbuckled into carseats by mommy, I can't even imagine what a convenience this would be for parents of younger children. No need to wake the baby to take him or her into the store! (Payment is so easy too, as we keep a credit card on file.)
We've gotten to know the Click and Collect employees, and now it feels like they're friends that we see on a weekly basis. I love how I can leave a little note online (e.g., "Green bananas please", or "Didn't see our usual floor cleaner on the website; could you check the store for me?") and the shoppers always happily oblige. You can even indicate what your preference is if an item is out of stock - I always ask them to choose the most similar item in a different brand.
Other than the cost, the biggest question that friends and family ask me is about the quality of the food, especially produce and meat. I can swear that we have always (after dozens and dozens of Click and Collect experiences) been happy with the quality of the food: fresh produce and meat that's well before it's best-before date.
I highly recommend you try out Loblaws online grocery shopping for yourself.
I am such a fan of the service that when I was approached to be part of a testimonial video, I jumped at the chance (and there are very few brands I would want to go out on a limb for like that). You may remember that I dropped some hints about a special project going on in my home back in the summer (with a makeup artist required!), and my girls even got to be part of it as well. (With all the lights, cameras and crew, "It looks like Hollywood in our house!" Eva observed.)
The video is now online; please check it out for yourself below and let me know what you think, and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions about the program!
