From Noon to Amazon to many other e-retailers, online grocery shopping is getting bigger and better. Saving the hassle of going to departmental stores and most importantly, saving time, online grocery shopping can be regarded as one of the key blessings of the app-era.

However, there are many questions that pop up when making the decision to order groceries online. The freedom to choose individually is replaced with freedom of choice collectively. So, before you go ahead and order all your kitchen essentials online, here’s what to keep in mind.

What are the pros of ordering groceries online?

You never miss what you want to order

Remember the days when you went grocery shopping on foot and later realized that you forgot to buy a crucial key ingredient? You often had to take a turn around and go through the entire shopping process again, stand at the billing counter and then return home late. With the convenience of ordering from home, there’s very less chance of you missing out an order. The ease of canceling and reordering has made grocery shopping less irksome.

You save time

No more traffic woes when going out grocery shopping, no more standing in the queue, or even waste time on bargains. Ordering groceries from home, or on your way to work, can save you hours every year. You can put all you need to order in your cart and order in just minutes. By the time you get home from work, all your groceries are waiting at the front door. You’ve saved yourself an entire day.

You keep track of your budget

One of the best things about ordering groceries online is that you stick to your budget. When you take a stroll in the supermarket, there’s enough temptation to go overboard. Taking out your phone calculator to estimate your budget is a serious headache, but on the app, your bill is on the cart. You can add or remove items depending on the urgency, necessity, and budget.

You can easily compare prices

It’s impossible to hop around supermarkets to compare prices, but when it comes to doing it online, it is just a click away. Buying groceries online help you compare prices and secure best deals. There’s no guilt of being over-charged.

You get deals, discounts and coupon codes

The best perk of ordering online is the facility to use voucher codes and get updates on discounts. There are sites such as VoucherCodesUAE and CouponCodesME which gives you the best discounts and deals online.

What are the cons of grocery shopping online?

You have to pay the delivery fee

There’s the delivery fee you need to pay for the service. While you’re saving time, someone else is investing that time for your order, so there’s an extra fee entailed. Sometimes the delivery fee can cost a lot of money, so be mindful to use promo codes and take advantage of free shipping services.

You don’t get to select the product

When you are ordering apples, you will not get to choose the reddest apples of the lot. Everything is selected and packed as per the will of the supplier. So yes, you are losing the joy of smelling and selecting a product.

The products may go out of stock

It is common to see the inventory run out. There are chances that you may not get the product you’re hoping to buy because it’s sold out. You need to be a bit flexible and look for its substitute if the product can be substituted.

You don’t get much exercise

Grocery shopping was often an excuse to exercise. Taking a stroll down to the departmental store and going around the complex did help burn some calories. The convenience of the app has come at the cost of health care. Ordering everything online is taking a toll on our daily exercise.

What to keep in mind when buying groceries online?

Read reviews

Read reviews on the site to know how a customer’s experience was with the product. Check out the overall star rating of the product and the authenticity of the customers rating it. You can also drop a rating and review once you experience the product so that it is helpful to another buyer. You may also get points for the effort.

Keep urgency in mind

Online grocery shopping isn’t ideal for last-minute plans. While some stores may take a few hours to deliver, others may take a day or so. Keep in mind the occasion and the time of when the groceries are required. Don’t rely on it for last-minute plans. Order it a day before the day you actually need it.

Order many items at once

Because you know you have to pay the delivery fee, might as well make it worth it by ordering all that you possibly need. Order online once a month or once every few weeks so that you don’t have to pay a delivery fee every time. There may also be a free shipping service on minimum order, so ensure to hit the mark.