Online Grocery Shopping: Way To Go?

Susan Koeppen Tests Four Of The Bigger Services

(CBS)  FRESHDIRECT.COM

All groceries came in boxes, except for the frozen goods. On the Web site, they feature a link to different recipes. Customers have the option to buy all the ingredients to make that recipe. Koeppen loved that feature. She ordered the ingredients for ten-minute chili. The frozen food came in a separate bag. Everything inside the bag was cold. Two eggs out of a dozen came cracked. Everything was packaged tightly in different boxes, except for the frozen goods. The deli meats were also impressive. The site gives consumers the option to cube cheese, or have your deli meat cut regular, thin, or thick. All was done as ordered. The fruits were all very fresh. This site also offers nutritional information on its products. The site gives delivery times to choose from. The order came right on time. Company has return policy and will refund the money on the cracked eggs.

About FreshDirect:

-Freshness guarantee: Company prides itself in the high quality of its fresh food and packaged goods. It guarantees your satisfaction with every product, every time.
-Rapidly expanding. Currently serves most of Manhattan and locations in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and parts of Long Island, New Jersey and Westchester.
-Claims 25,000 - 35,000 unique shoppers come to the site each day
-Most popular items on the site: pizzas, fresh dining meals, stir fry kits, croissants, fruit (bananas, strawberries), Veggies (broccoli, carrots, cucumbers).

Rates:

Manhattan, and New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens: $4.95 delivery charge
Riverdale (a section of the New York City borough of the Bronx): $4.95 for orders over $100, and $6.95 for orders under $100
Westchester (northern suburb of New York City): $5.95 for orders over $100, $7.95 for orders $75-100, and $9.95 for orders under $75
New Jersey: $5.95 delivery charge

AMAZON.COM

Non-perishables: There were specialty items on this new grocery section. They did not have Poland Spring water, but they did have Zico Pure Coconut Water. Koeppen could not find one of her favorites: Hershey kisses. She did order Back to Nature all natural cereal, Kraft Easy Mac Cups, Milk Bone original dog treats, nuts, Bounty paper towels. All of these items are bought in bulk. Amazon offers free shipping nationwide with purchases over $25. Koeppen found the Web site more challenging to navigate than the others.

About Amazon.com:

-Features more than 14,000 non-perishable food and household items; lots of dry goods, such as packaged cereals and canned food
-Only shop organic? From Alter Eco to Wild Oats, from Wolfgang Puck soups to Sun Ridge Farms nuts, Amazon Grocery has nearly 7,000 organic products to choose from.
-Ships in Bulk
-Does not offer returns, but if there is a problem with the product, will send a replacement.

NETGROCER.COM

There were lots of organic and natural groceries on this site. Some prices higher than in the grocery store, such as that of protein bars. Others, such as baby food, were the same. All the items (non perishable) came via FedEx and were packed nicely, and you don't have to be home when the food arrives. Everything was fresh, but the bag of tortillas was crushed and the tortillas were ruined.

About Netgrocer.com:

-FedEx shipping, based on how many dollars are being spent
-30,000 items shipped nationwide and worldwide
-100,000 customers have used the site
-Return policy: 100 percent guarantee: refund or new shipment
-Non perishables right now, but will start offering perishables in about two months
-Since 1997, Netgrocer says, it has been the premier online provider of "hard-to-find" brands, regional favorites, and other specialty non-perishable groceries.