Who would have thought it? With today's technology, you can sit on your couch all day, watch the kids play, and do all your "errands" without hardly moving a muscle. Even your grocery shopping can be done with a click of the mouse!
And that's where Peapod comes in. The ON-LINE grocery store that comes to your door. Peapod is partnered with your local grocery store, so your groceries arrive fresh and yummy right to your door. And all you have to do is wait for them to arrive.
To be honest with you, Peapod has come a long way in the last year or so. The Peapod of a year ago was nothing to rave about, and I had several not-so-great experiences with them. But it's come a long way, baby... and today's Peapod is bigger, better, and more practical for the average family.
I guess I'll start my story with the Peapod of a year ago... It seemed like a wonderful idea. After all, I had a $20 coupon sitting right here... two young children running around... and I wasn't feeling so well. I logged onto Peapod with great expectations, and was thrilled to see how easy it was to grocery shop.
After all, it does give you three ways to shop:
1. You can "browse" the "aisles"... little icons featuring veggies, bread, diary, etc...
2. You can type in an item to search for... like Pampers or Gerber.
3. Best of all, you can type in your entire grocery list, Peapod searches its database, and you can flip through the pages that Peapod brings up.
They even have specials! And you can use manufacturer's coupons, too. Just give your coupons to the driver, and the money will be taken off your next order.
Over the past several months, I have received letters and emails from Peapod, talking about their "new" features and "improved" service. I even received another $20 coupon from them, and figured I'd give it a try.
And that's what I did. To my delight, they did a fine job. In the last year, Peapod has greatly expanded their product line, and carry practically every item that you could possibly imagine. In fact, they even carry my son's rice milk... not a product that you would see all the time... and they offered quite a deal on it. (Not to mention that it's pretty darn heavy if you order a lot---and the Peapod delivery people bring it right into your kitchen).
I've also noticed that they improved their reliability. Now when I order my groceries, I can count on receiving all the groceries that I ordered... and I don't have to guess which ones will be backordered.
Best of all, Peapod seems to have lowered their prices, too. Their prices now seem comparable to the grocery store (or only a little bit more expensive), and I'm not racked with guilt every single time that I order groceries from them.
The only disadvantage that I currently see is the price of their fresh produce. You see, they seem to price their produce by the PIECE, instead of by the pound.... it's very confusing, and seems very expensive. After all, I don't think that a single apple should be the same price as a whole pound of apples. You are better off picking them up yourself.
Overall, I think that Peapod has really made it. They've improved their service, lowered their prices, and increased their reliability. If you don't mind playing around on the net, it's definitely worth it... and it will certainly save you some time in the long run. Just remember to order in advance, and pick up fresh produce on your way home!