I've never done store pick up of groceries...

[Vintage VFer]

How does it work? Do you need an app? Any advice?

(Feeling really like a dinosaur now).

[laurajhawk]

It might help for you to say which store you want to use.
I haven't done this, but I have the King Soopers app and it appears to me that I can make the list for pickup with either the app or the website. There are designated parking spaces at my store where you park to get your groceries delivered to your car.

[ChelePA]

Here in Pennsylvania, different stores use different services. At Wegmans and Price Chopper, they use Instacart. At Giant, they use Peapod. I didn’t have to download an app for any of the services. I had my groceries delivered to me last week through Instacart. This week we are doing curbside pick up at the Giant. I just went to the stores website and clicked on either delivery or pick up. With Instacart they actually text you as they’re shopping if items aren’t available or if you want replacements. It was a great experience! Locally, you have to place an order at least 3 to 4 days out. They are absolutely crazy busy. We also have some local stores that you can place phone orders with. It really just depends on the store.

[wishiwasinhawaii]

Originally Posted by ChelePA

Here in Pennsylvania, different stores use different services. At Wegmans and Price Chopper, they use Instacart. At Giant, they use Peapod. I didn’t have to download an app for any of the services. I had my groceries delivered to me last week through Instacart. This week we are doing curbside pick up at the Giant. I just went to the stores website and clicked on either delivery or pick up. With Instacart they actually text you as they’re shopping if items aren’t available or if you want replacements. It was a great experience! Locally, you have to place an order at least 3 to 4 days out. They are absolutely crazy busy. We also have some local stores that you can place phone orders with. It really just depends on the store.

I'm in NJ and it's the same here. I had a fantastic experience with Instacart delivery and will use them again. If you use these services, you have to plan ahead because it could be 4-5 days before they can deliver or prepare your order due to all the demand.

[Vintage VFer]

Sorry, I should have been more specific.

I'm not sure of which stores have that service here. I'm pretty sure Walmart does.

I'd never even heard of Instacart before this week!

[alisoncooks]

I usually use Harris Teeter express. It is done directly through their own website (not instacart or anything else). However, despite my having an annual subscription (meaning I already paid for a year of pick ups), I've not been able to reserve a pickup time for a month. They're swamped! *sigh*. I miss when groceries were easy.

[violingal3]

I have just been doing orders online through the store website, haven't tried any apps. I did Costco delivery last week and it was great, my parents have been doing Kroger and Sprouts for pickup with good luck. Our orders were placed about 5-7 days in advance.

Something we found that works for getting a time slot - put a cart together and either sign in after midnight or super early in the morning to place/schedule the order. With stores being booked out several days with delivery and pickup, they tend to release the next available day or two in their schedule at these times and you can grab a slot before they get booked up.

[wishiwasinhawaii]

Originally Posted by Vintage VFer

Sorry, I should have been more specific.

I'm not sure of which stores have that service here. I'm pretty sure Walmart does.

I'd never even heard of Instacart before this week!

It will depend on what's available in your location. You could go to the websites of your local stores and see if they have any online ordering options. I had never ordered groceries online before either. I still prefer to do it in person, but there is no way I'm going inside any stores right now.

[Lori_Michigan]

The stores near me (in Michigan) have about a week delay in pick ups and are averaging about half my order. Two weeks out for deliveries near me.

I had better luck just gearing up (gloves, mask, lots of wipes) at my local grocery store (which doesn't have pick up/delivery) and they were enforcing 6 feet between everyone and cleaning carts and the belt between everyone checking out. I then unpacked everything on my porch and wiped everything down. I left all non refrigerator items in my garage for 3 days. I washed all my clothes and jacket and took a hot shower when I was done. All told, it took me six hours to get a week's worth of groceries!

[Vintage VFer]

I just tried to sign up at PetSmart for a store pick-up. (We need cat litter.) I chose Paypal as payment. Every time I clicked on Confirm Payment, it kept taking me back to my cart to start over.

I'm usually a whiz at shopping online, but I gave up after the fifth time and emptied my cart.

Sigh.