The pros and cons of online supermarket shopping

by Rosalind Kent on 21 February 2011  |  19 comments
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Doing your shopping online can be cheaper and more efficient, but there are negatives to consider too.

Online shopping has become increasingly popular over the last few years, with more and more people choosing to click their way through retail heaven rather than tramp the high streets. Inevitably, supermarkets have enthusiastically thrown themselves into this shopping revolution.

There’s no doubt that it can be a convenient way to shop, and the idea of dodging bad-tempered crowds and having your weekly shopping delivered to your door is an appealing notion. But, can it be cost effective as well, or should you resign yourself to paying through the nose for the privilege?

Customer perks and offers

Supermarkets attract new online customers by offering them money off their first order, or free delivery. Generally it is a one-time offer, and not open to returning customers. Despite this, there used to be a plethora of voucher codes for discounts or free delivery available from the many voucher websites, and it was possible to find a code every time you shopped.

However, the supermarkets have closed this particular avenue and vouchers are now impossible to find for anything other than your first shop. As always there are loopholes, and they are discussed in depth in ‘A sneaky way to get money off your groceries’.

Other websites that can help you save

Even if you are no longer a first-time customer, or can’t find anything useful on voucher websites like MyVoucherCodes, there are still ways to save money.

Mysupermarket.com offers some useful tools for comparing the prices of the four main supermarkets – Ocado (in partnership with Waitrose), Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's. You can compare prices and see what special offers are on, helping you to significantly lower the cost of your shopping. It also suggests cheaper alternatives. It’s simple to use and allows you to save the contents of your shopping basket, making your next shop quicker.  

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Have a look at what the cashback websites have on offer (if you are not already enjoying the benefits of cashback, take a look at Earn Money for Free). Currently through Quidco you can get £5.50 cashback with your first Asda shop, £5 with Tesco and 50p for each grocery order with Sainsbury's (so this can be used for every shop).

Common Problems

The most common complaints about ordering online are missing or damaged items, or too many ‘substitutes’. When the supermarket does not have the exact item you ordered, they can put alternatives in your delivery. It is common to get at least one substituted item per order. However, they can sometimes work in your favour. I ordered cheap own-brand cat food for my cat (lucky boy). It was substituted for a considerably more expensive branded option, which must have made his day.

Most of the supermarkets let you check the ‘No Substitutions’ button, but this will mean that if your item is not in stock, you will get nothing. You also won’t be able to put together a collection of hilarious substitution anecdotes to regale your friends with - like ordering a sponge cake and getting a bath sponge (it’ll taste fine with a bit of custard), or ordering anti-perspirant and getting two caramelised onion tartlets!

Occasionally you might find that the price you thought you were going to pay changes upon delivery. The supermarkets reserve the right to charge the price of the goods on the actual day of delivery (read the small print!), but if you are not happy you are within your rights to return the goods. You can also reject substitutes or damaged goods.

Who comes out on top?

A review by Which? found that Ocado scored the highest for overall service, with Sainsbury's coming next, followed by Tesco then Asda. This was based on quality of produce, accuracy of order, convenience of delivery and pricing of goods. Although Ocado scored best for customer satisfaction, Asda actually had the best prices.

If you are a first-time shopper and still aren’t sure who to try, why not look at our table below breaking down costs and discounts currently on offer? Where no special offers are listed this means that there are no valid codes to be found on the internet for grocery shopping at the moment. Offers on other products may be available, and you can still come across first-time customer vouchers in newspapers, leaflets, emails etc. so keep a look out!

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