Convenience Reigns King in our Modern Times

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A couple years ago I was telling my kids how sad I was that Wegmans closed the W-Kids play center at the front of our local Wegmans.My kids laughed and said, “You never let us go in there! We were always with you!”

True.

I loved shopping with my babies in strollers and eventually, loved shopping with my school-aged kids just the same.

Stopping in for a few groceries after a Saturday ball game was fun.

But back to the W-Kids.

When they first deconstructed the kids room, I figured that the majority of parents were already connected to daycare all week and either wanted to keep their kids with them on the weekends or shopped after work while the kids were still at daycare. Either way, if the demand existed, Wegmans would have kept it.

Next, self-check-out stations appeared.

Then, the majority of the W-Kids space became housing for mountains of pre-packaged Insta Cart groceries🛒.Shelves and refrigeration units now line the former W-Kids area filled with already-pulled groceries for pick up, or for the driver delivering the groceries to people’s homes. My friend recently sent me $10 off my first Insta Cart purchase. I keep wanting to try it but haven’t. I’m not opposed to my groceries being delivered, but I happen to not hate grocery shopping.

Then again, it hasn’t started snowing yet. I might just jump on that Insta Cart wagon on a frigid Sunday in January when I really want warm cookies baking in the oven but I’m missing a few ingredients (& while I’m at it, order all my groceries for the week…).

 

28 thoughts on “Convenience Reigns King in our Modern Times”

  2. I would be kind of hesitant to participate in that service. I am very picky as to what produce and other items I buy. I’m sure whoever is doing the shopping for someone would not take the time like I do to make sure the very best is bought. It pays to take time to do the shopping yourself. We have Wegmans and I consider us very blessed to have it.

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  3. I totally get that! I’ve tried the services here, and they don’t pick produce well. But for sundries, and convenience I would totally order through one.

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  4. Like you, I woul;d be torn by the offer of grocery delivery. I like wandering through the supermarket to see new items and get new ideas for old ones. Before I retired, John did the shopping. Now we do it together. To John, shopping for groceries is a sport — one that requires you to continually improve your speed. You should see us in the store. He whips down the aisles to come to a screeching halt before the item we need. In trying to keep up with him, I’m getting whiplash, twisting my head from side to side, trying to take in what is on the shelf. I’m just not into cart-speeding as a way of life.

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  5. Our local grocery store doesn’t have the option to order online yet, but when they do I’m not sure if I’ll do it or not. I’m on the fence about that. I’m not sure how I feel about other people picking out my groceries for me. 😀

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    • I’m with you. I like grocery shopping and now you have me thinking about hired shoppers touching my produce😆! No thank you! For some reason I was only thinking about boxed pasta etc.

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      • I hate to disillusion you, but do you have any idea how many people touch your produce before you do? How many floors that crate of veggies has rested on in transit? Living in Mexico has given me the habit of disinfecting/sanitizing all my produce and eggs when I get home from the store. Now during the months I am in the U.S. I still do it. In Mexico I was sanitizing fruit from the U.S. for heaven’s sake! That made me very aware that our fresh food comes from all over the Americas and it probably all needs more than a gentle rinse.

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        • You have great insight with your life in Mexico. So much of our produce in the winter months are stamped “product of Mexico”. I’m already cautious about my produce and do wash thoroughly. Based on your comment, I feel like I should take it one step further! Do you use a natural produce soap of some sort?

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          • When I first came to Mexico, I lived in an area with lots of expats and that affected what was available. I was able to get a grapefruit based product. That is not available where I live now, and I use the readily available Microdyne. There are smaller bottles in the vegetable areas of all the supermarkets, and Costco sells a large bottle. In the U.S. I use vinegar. All of these are added to the water you soak the produce in for 12-15 minutes. Microdyne does not have to be rinsed off. I do rinse the vinegar because of a possible taste residue. If your water source is not reliable, you wouldn’t want to follow with a water rinse. There are lots of articles online to help. I rinse and sanitize everything as soon as I get home from the grocery store so there is no cross contamination in the refrigerator. The exceptions for me are berries, carrots, and mushrooms which I keep separate and sanitize right before I use. They don’t hold up well after they have been sanitized. If something is going to be boiled for a while, you don’t have to sanitize first (if cross contamination in the fridge is not an issue in the meanwhile). It does take some time, but is not hard once you get used to it. A large container is helpful so you can soak more at one time. In Mexico I have a big tamale cooker I use for it. A plate is also helpful to keep the floaters submerged. I hope this helps, and I’m sorry if it is more than you asked for! 😉

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            • I’m so grateful for your detailed response! I do wash but want an effective yet safe extra product. I’ve started to peel many things even after a thorough wash because there is still sometimes a film – even on my organics. Thank you!

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  6. Instacart is everywhere and I’m not sure how I feel about it. For the shut-ins and infirm, I think it’s a great idea. But for the rest of us? I just wonder why, when we have every modern convenience to save time, we don’t have time to go to the supermarket and pick out our own groceries. Something about it just rubs me the wrong way, I guess.

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