Grocery Shopping

[RealAvalon]

You are so not going to believe this.

 

Or this.

I did know there were vegan beer options, I did not know there were vegan lube options. Do vegans swallow?

Edited June 12, 2020 by RealAvalon

[+ bigjoey]

(Whisper: it's the way we did it when I worked in a grocery store in the 1970's. )

 

I was referring to this type of packaging when the box is cut open and a tray slides out carrying all the products:

https://mrcheckout.net/pdq-display/

[+ Keith30309]

Do vegans swallow?

AFAF

This is worthy of a new thread.

[+ FrankR]

There were actually containers of Clorox wipes on the store shelf this afternoon in my neighborhood in Manhattan. I felt like doing the snoopy dance! Look Ma - unicorns are real!!!!

[RealAvalon]

More shopping in general than groceries. Our local public transit system is installing lockers at the train stations specifically to receive on-line purchases. You can sign up on-line and use the lockers for a mailing address for on-line deliveries. When your purchase arrives, you get notified with a code for the locker, to collect your items. Deals with potential porch thefts, as well as improved privacy protection with on-line sales.

[+ Lucky]

I found sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer easily this week. The hand sanitizers are often not as good as you might be used to, but look for at least 70% ethyl alcohol as a base. Lysol type sprays are still difficult to find.

Edited June 25, 2020 by Lucky

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

One of my neighbors is collecting items for the local food pantry. Since most of my groceries are perishables, I ran to the store tonight to pick up items on the "needed" list. The difference in the Giant Eagle I shopped at tonight vs. the Meijer I've been primarily using during the pandemic has me stumped.

 

The vibe at the Meijer has pretty much returned to pre-COVID levels: energetic customers and employees, well-lit, and fairly busy. The vibe at Giant Eagle is much different that pre-COVID: eerily quiet, few customers, (but employee friendliness was still strong.) I'm chalking it up in part to the good reviews I'm hearing about the Giant Eagle pick up and delivery service in comparison to Meijer.

[Guest]

There were actually containers of Clorox wipes on the store shelf this afternoon in my neighborhood in Manhattan. I felt like doing the snoopy dance! Look Ma - unicorns are real!!!!

Of course they are real. But, I heard on the news today that they're now saying that, unlike what we had been told, the finger to face transmission method seems to be rare. It now seems to be spread by being indoors with someone who has it, especially in crowded conditions. So those of you who've been wiping their food containers probably didn't have to.

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-joint-statement-usda-and-fda-food-export-restrictions-pertaining-covid

We learn something new almost every day.

[+ Axiom2001]

At my local Smart & Final except for Clorox and Lysol Disinfecting Wipes everything seems relatively back to normal. They don't expect these two items to be back in stock until mid July. As I've stated elsewhere on this thread the employees at this store have been wonderful to me. Yesterday I made six dozen ginger snaps which I dipped in white chocolate and took them over to the employees along with twenty $5.00 gift cards for Starbucks. The manager was quite shocked but seemed pleased. It was the very least I could do for all the wonderful service I have received from these outstanding people.

 

This was quite thoughtful and sweet of you. I'm seriously thinking about giving my postal carrier and the workers at the counter of my post office thank you cards along with Starbuck's gift cards.

 

And from what you posted, I might make it to my local Smart and Final and get some disinfecting wipes. ...have had difficulty procuring them since COVID-19.

[+ FrankR]

Of course they are real. But, I heard on the news today that they're now saying that, unlike what we had been told, the finger to face transmission method seems to be rare. It now seems to be spread by being indoors with someone who has it, especially in crowded conditions. So those of you who've been wiping their food containers probably didn't have to.

I have no regrets about wiping down my groceries - I will probably keep doing it. Grocery store shelves aren’t the cleanest places so even if it is just for removing some of the grime my purchases picked up along the way from the distributor, that is just fine! ?

[RealAvalon]

Still haven't found multi-grain flour.

[MikeBiDude]

Still haven't found multi-grain flour.

Find any yet? I just secured my first bag of white whole wheat flour since March a few days ago.

[RealAvalon]

Find any yet? I just secured my first bag of white whole wheat flour since March a few days ago.

No. I looked again today, at three different places. Still no multi-grain. There's pastry flour, whole wheat flour, blended flour etc., but no multi-grain.

[The_Impeccable_G]

I am not in the US and I was surprised by this thread.

[RealAvalon]

I am not in the US and I was surprised by this thread.

I'm not in the USA either. What were you surprised about?

[The_Impeccable_G]

I'm not in the USA either. What were you surprised about?

That there are still shortages.

[RealAvalon]

That there are still shortages.

Not sure where you are from. But there are still some items that you can't find in Canada

[TruthBTold]

I will tell you that now that for the last couple of months we have had this contactless grocery shopping (no contact - even with the delivery person) I will never go back, if possible. Before La COVID I would do Peapod for canned goods, boxed, and some paper goods but I would go to the various stores for various things. Now I have found that between the four stores I shop at if you do it right you can avoid delivery costs. So there is no going back for me. Particularly as I never met that gorgeous guy trying to figure out whether a melon was ripe or not. Fuck that.

[MikeBiDude]

I will tell you that now that for the last couple of months we have had this contactless grocery shopping (no contact - even with the delivery person) I will never go back, if possible. Before La COVID I would do Peapod for canned goods, boxed, and some paper goods but I would go to the various stores for various things. Now I have found that between the four stores I shop at if you do it right you can avoid delivery costs. So there is no going back for me. Particularly as I never met that gorgeous guy trying to figure out whether a melon was ripe or not. Fuck that.

I am a new fan of InstaCart here. I’m surprised how many stores in my area they will shop at, including Costco, Northgate (Hispanic grocery), all the regular local groceries...and now they are adding office supply stores!

I have an annual no delivery fee plan with them....was I think $99 or thereabouts, $35 minimum order not too hard to achieve, and usually 2 hour free delivery window.

 

I also use Amazon/Whole Foods for produce and specialty items for my cooking.

 

I also don’t see myself “going back” to old ways of grocery shopping.

[marylander1940]

I am a new fan of InstaCart here. I’m surprised how many stores in my area they will shop at, including Costco, Northgate (Hispanic grocery), all the regular local groceries...and now they are adding office supply stores!

I have an annual no delivery fee plan with them....was I think $99 or thereabouts, $35 minimum order not too hard to achieve, and usually 2 hour free delivery window.

 

I also use Amazon/Whole Foods for produce and specialty items for my cooking.

 

I also don’t see myself “going back” to old ways of grocery shopping.

 

the old ways of grocery shopping also included walking a few blocks inside the supermarket, seeing new products, etc. As much as I appreciate apps that create jobs I'll never give up going by foot to the Harris Teeter, running into my neighbors, comparing products, seeing new things, and specially walking inside the supermarket.

[+ Charlie]

I almost never buy something I can't see/touch/smell first, so I have never ordered delivery from a supermarket, and never will unless I become physically immobilized. In fact, for me physical shopping is part of the fun of buying things, so I have almost never bought anything online that I can shop for in person.

 

On another topic, I bought TP yesterday for the first time this year (I had enough from before the pandemic); all of my local markets seem to have it now. What I can't find anywhere still is Clorox cleaner.

[MikeBiDude]

I almost never buy something I can't see/touch/smell first, so I have never ordered delivery from a supermarket, and never will unless I become physically immobilized. In fact, for me physical shopping is part of the fun of buying things, so I have almost never bought anything online that I can shop for in person.

 

On another topic, I bought TP yesterday for the first time this year (I had enough from before the pandemic); all of my local markets seem to have it now. What I can't find anywhere still is Clorox cleaner.

I get the touch and feel @Charlie! I cook extensively and often need to hit 2-3 store to get everything I want for a dinner party. Especially need touch & feel produce. I’ve just been pleasantly pleased how grocery delivery really stepped up during Covid...and in same cases will continue to order pantry items online.

 

There are many items especially in quality beef, poultry, etc that are best online and many cuts can’t be found in local stores or even in my amazing local old school butcher shop blocks from my home. American Wagyu prime briskets for smoking, A5 Japanese Wagyu filet, Pekin duck for dry aging, green coffee beans for my toaster all item I buy online and shipped to me.

 

I don’t need the exercise of the store, lol! Get that elsewhere and being self employed and single dad the time savings is sometimes significant!!

[+ WilliamM]

I almost never buy something I can't see/touch/smell first, so I have never ordered delivery from a supermarket, and never will unless I become physically immobilized. In fact, for me physical shopping is part of the fun of buying things, so I have almost never bought anything online that I can shop for in person.

 

On another topic, I bought TP yesterday for the first time this year (I had enough from before the pandemic); all of my local markets seem to have it now. What I can't find anywhere still is Clorox cleaner.

 

I agree and I have never ordered a meal either. I would rather walk or drive to the restaurant and pick it up myself. Also, I don't shop to talk to neighbors

[marylander1940]

I almost never buy something I can't see/touch/smell first, so I have never ordered delivery from a supermarket, and never will unless I become physically immobilized. In fact, for me physical shopping is part of the fun of buying things, so I have almost never bought anything online that I can shop for in person.

 

On another topic, I bought TP yesterday for the first time this year (I had enough from before the pandemic); all of my local markets seem to have it now. What I can't find anywhere still is Clorox cleaner.

 

Exactly, it's not just buying it's also the social experience.

 

So many things we do or we find safer to do from home but why not going to the store and walk.

 

I get the touch and feel @Charlie! I cook extensively and often need to hit 2-3 store to get everything I want for a dinner party. Especially need touch & feel produce. I’ve just been pleasantly pleased how grocery delivery really stepped up during Covid...and in same cases will continue to order pantry items online.

 

There are many items especially in quality beef, poultry, etc that are best online and many cuts can’t be found in local stores or even in my amazing local old school butcher shop blocks from my home. American Wagyu prime briskets for smoking, A5 Japanese Wagyu filet, Pekin duck for dry aging, green coffee beans for my toaster all item I buy online and shipped to me.

 

I don’t need the exercise of the store, lol! Get that elsewhere and being self employed and single dad the time savings is sometimes significant!!

 

Yes there are things that are better online... but I would never ordered vegetables if I don't see them, and they constitute the base of healthy diet. We already do too many things with just a click chilling at home. Why not going to the store when it might be the only thing we do outside home the whole day? Besides I love samples at Costco and I hope after all of this they're back, sometimes they open my taste to new things.

 

I thought your kids were all grown up, though. Do you share custody?

 

Edit: reading the cover of the National Enquirer without feeling guilty adds to the whole Harris Teeter, Safeway, experience. ?

[MikeBiDude]

Well, bad on me for mentioning an aspect of my private life....I did not expect prying or questions regarding my family arrangements. Seems those are best left to my decision to reveal, not for others trolling for info.