As coronavirus continues to spread across the world, supermarket shelves are becoming increasingly empty as shoppers bulk-buy tinned food and toilet rolls.
These shortages, combined with much of the population being in self-isolation, mean that online grocery shopping has never been more popular. Indeed, when the Prime Minister announced the lockdown, he recommended we order food online. Ocado, accordingly, has asked its customers to place orders further in advance because of the high demand.
If you’ve decided to do your food shopping online, you must now consider which supplier to choose. Whether you opt for a supermarket brand or an online-only retailer, there are some basic points to consider.
Same-day delivery is usually a major bonus to an online food shopping site, but in the current climate it is unlikely to be possible. Note that all sites require someone over 18 to sign for the delivery and most companies have a minimum spend. A varied offering of food, drink and toiletries is important to achieve the weekly shop in one fell swoop.
Here we have appraised some of the major retailers’ websites and offerings, including the fastest delivery times with updates on what is being offered currently.
1. AmazonFresh
Why we like it: Speedy delivery of fresh food from impressive brands
As the name might suggest, AmazonFresh specialises in delivering fresh food to your doorstep. Amazon has partnered with Whole Foods, Morrisons and local shops and markets to supply a diverse selection of fruit, vegetables, meat and baked goods – including 105 premium offerings from Whole Foods alone.
Usually, Amaazon Fresh prides itself on next-day, and even same-day delivery. However, due to increasing demand, you could have to wait weeks for an available delivery slot, depending on your location.
People have taken to Twitter to express their frustration at the lack of delivery slots. Some have said that their deliveries were cancelled at last minute, or delayed by hours, and others said that they had to wait days before they found an available delivery slot.
Nik Long@sirniklong
In wake of the coronavirus outbreak, you can now select an “unattended delivery” at checkout if you don’t want to come into contact with others.
The service, which launched in 2016, currently only delivers to London and the south-east of the UK, but there are plans for expansion in the future.
Unfortunately, the service is exclusive to Prime and Fresh members, and it costs £11.98 a month to become a member of both. Minimum spend is £40, with a £3.99 delivery fee, although orders above £60 have free delivery.
2. Amazon Pantry
Why we like it: It offers a large selection of branded items that have been reviewed by customers
Amazon Pantry was the retailing giant’s first venture into online grocery delivery, in 2015. Pantry sells items for the food cupboard (crisps, chocolate and so on), from renowned brands such as Heinz, Kellogg’s and Cadbury’s. They do not stock fresh food such as meat, fruit or vegetables – that’s where the later-developed AmazonFresh comes in (see below).
It also stocks plenty of household goods, including surface cleaners and washing up liquid. However, it does not currently stock toilet rolls or hand sanitiser.
Usually, Amazon Prime prides itself on its one-day (or same-day) delivery, but supply chain challenges caused by the virus outbreak have led to the more cautious promise that: “most orders arrive within one working day“.
Complaints on Twitter, however, indicate that delivery dates are not available for at least two weeks.
Amazon Pantry is exclusive to Amazon Prime members, and this membership costs £7.99 a month of £79 a year. On top of this cost, there is a delivery charge of £3.99 and minimum spend of £15. Orders are grouped together in a large cardboard box to minimise the packaging’s impact on the environment.
3. Waitrose
Why we like it: Wide selection of food on an easy-to-use website
Waitrose.com is one of the best-stocked suppliers of both pantry snacks and fresh food: a search for ‘chicken’ yields over 300 results. There is even more choice on WaitroseCellar and WaitroseEntertaining, for all of your alcohol and canapé needs. All food comes with a freshness guarantee.
Household essentials, like toilet roll, are currently in short supply – although antibacterial wipes are still available. Waitrose has joined the ranks of Sainsbury’s and other online retailers in rationing products, as detailed below.
Usually, Waitrose offers free trackable next-day delivery to homes all over the UK. At the moment, however, the supermarket is prioritising delivery slots for elderly or more vulnerable customers. These customers are being identified using data the store already holds, but you can register yourself or a loved one as vulnerable here.
If you are not a vulnerable customer, you will not be able to book a delivery slot at present.
If you are self-isolating, Waitrose advises you contact Customer Care (0800 188884) once you have made your order, to discuss specific arrangements for where to leave the shopping.
Note that the minimum spend is higher than many, at £60 for home delivery, or £40 for click-and-collect. New joiners are eligible for special discounts, however, including a £60 offer.
4. Morrisons
Why we like it: An affordable way to buy essentials from fresh vegetables to school uniforms
Selling fresh fruit, meat and enough products to meet your pantry needs, Morrisons scores well for its variety. The site even has a clothes section where you can browse women’s, men’s or even children’s clothing – with school uniform jumpers starting at just £3.
That said, the availability of household items has been hit by high demand, in light of Covid-19. As a result, most of the toilet rolls are out of stock (except for an own-brand pack of four at the time of writing). Antibacterial wipes are similarly out of stock.
There is a £40 minimum spend but delivery prices start from just 99p and there’s free delivery for the first month. Delivery Passes are also available to help regular customers save on delivery.
Currently, there are no available delivery slots, due to high demand, but the website will let you amend existing orders.
When the food does arrive, however, it is of high quality, due to Morrisons’ “fresh check”, where they confirm the food’s freshness before you take it in. The delivery service is fairly environmentally friendly, as Morrisons have banned the use of plastic bags and they have pledged to make all of their packaging recyclable by 2025.
5. Co-Op
Why we like it: It has excellent potential
Co-op is relatively new to the online food delivery game, and only appointed an e-commerce director in January 2019. The service may still in the early stages of development, but Co-op is clearly thinking outside of the box, with trials of robot deliveries in Milton Keynes and a Deliveroo partnership in 2018.
Considering that it is a relatively new delivery service, it is surprising that the Co-op is offering next-day delivery (with a set time slot) to various locations. Delivery has not been rolled out to the whole of the country, so you might need to click and collect if you don’t live in a city centre. Minimum order is just £15, and delivery is free.
At the moment, to meet demand, deliveries can consist of no more than 20 items.
There is a moderate amount of product choice, incorporating meat, vegetables, ready meals and alcohol. In-demand household products are currently in short supply (there are no loo rolls on offer) but this could be set to improve in upcoming months.
6. Tesco
Why we like it: A flexible service with no minimum spend
If you’ve run out of milk or forgotten to plan tonight’s dinner, Tesco offers a more flexible way of ordering last-minute necessities. There is no minimum spend on your order, although there is a minimum £4 basket charge for orders under £25. Ordering groceries is easy, as you can shop your favourites and use the Tesco delivery app when you’re out and about.
Tesco has a varied range to choose from. While it has currently sold out of own-brand toilet roll, there are numerous other brands to choose from. Likewise, there is a variety of branded food to choose from, including sought-after tinned food.
Delivery covers most of the UK, and you can usually opt for same-day or scheduled delivery. However, in light of the pandemic, there is currently an up-to-three week waiting period for a delivery time-slot. At the time of writing, there are no time slots available, although Tesco will release more delivery slots in due course. A fixed one-hour slot on your chosen day can cost between £3 and £7, or you can select a flexi-saver slot for a randomly allocated one-hour slot, which costs between £1 and £4. Bagless delivery is available.
There is currently an 80-item limit placed on new orders.
All food comes with a freshness guarantee. If, say, your croissant arrives damaged on arrival, you can return it to the driver and they will process a refund.
7. Ocado
Why we like it: Unrivalled variety of branded products
For 10 years, Ocado has been synonymous with Waitrose, but as of September 2020, that partnership will come to an end. The online retailer has signed a deal with Marks & Spencer, and will deliver its products from late next year. Over 5000 own-brand M&S products are set to replace the 4000 Waitrose products currently on sale.
Regardless of its shifting partnerships, Ocado stocks a real range of branded products, with over 53,000 items available, from fresh fish to toothpaste. Toilet roll is in stock, as is an array of sought-after products, including antibacterial hand gel and pasta.
The minimum spend on the site is £40. Next-day delivery is usually available, with one-hour time slots between 7am and 10pm. However, the site is currently in such high demand (there is a 15 minute virtual queue just to get onto the website) that there are no delivery slots available today, and the site is prioritising vulnerable customers.
Ocado is also prioritising existing customers. “We’re very sorry but due to the exceptionally high level of demand we are temporarily prioritising deliveries for our existing customers. As a result, we are unable to offer you a delivery slot at the moment. Unfortunately, new customer bookings will not be processed,” the company has warned on its website.
Ocado has tried to make its deliveries as environmentally-friendly as possible, with green delivery slots, and they have reduced their vans’ carbon dioxide emissions by 33 per cent from 2012 to 2018. The company also recycles carrier bags (if you hand them back to the driver). Unwanted supplies are donated to food banks and charities.
8. Asda
Why we like it: Value for money on a range of groceries
Money goes a long way with Asda groceries. Like its supermarkets, prices are typically lower than on other sites. Although there is a £40 minimum spend, you should be able to buy most of your groceries for low prices.
Due to high demand, there is a slight online queue to access the site (although it only took me a couple of minutes). Next-day delivery is usually available, and costs approximately £3, but currently there are no delivery slots available for the next two weeks, due to high demand. They are only releasing new delivery slots 14 days in advance, so watch this space.
The website is simple in its design, but not as easy to navigate as some of the others. There is, however, a good selection of items on offer – including fresh, frozen and chilled groceries.
7. Sainsbury’s
Why we like it: Affordable online shopping that is good to the environment
With a minimum spend of just £25, Sainsbury’s offers a handy small-shop option, but note that delivery can cost £7 for smaller baskets; orders over £40 incur just a £1 delivery charge.
Sainsbury’s follows in Ocado’s footsteps with their environmentally-conscious delivery service. Not only do they offer bagless delivery, but they also have eco-friendly ‘green slots’, where you can schedule a delivery to coincide with when a Sainsbury’s van is in your area.
Usually, same-day delivery is available if you order by 12pm and the earliest delivery time on the day is 6pm. Currently, however, the site warns: “We have limited delivery availability due to extremely high demand. We are doing everything we can to improve this situation, please check back regularly for latest availability.”
This rings true. On a trial shop (which included toilet roll, still available on the site at the time of writing), there is no delivery slot available for the next three weeks. We advise that you check back for availability.
The best online supermarket for grocery delivery: our verdict
In light of the coronavirus, fast delivery times take priority. For that reason, we were particularly impressed by Co-op’s next-day delivery, as well as AmazonFresh and Amazon Pantry and their speedy delivery services (in theory, at least).
If you are a pre-existing Ocado member, we recommend this online store for its all-encompassing selection and reasonable delivery time (in comparison to other online retailers).
Nonetheless, we were also impressed by Sainsbury’s eco-delivery service and their low minimum spend, plus the variety of products on offer. Waitrose’s easy-to-use site and variety also made it one of the best sites for online grocery delivery.