Touring Peapod...

I had a great time today touring Peapod, and met some wonderful women bloggers who reside here in Rhode Island. They are:

Karen - Frugal Rhode Island Mama

Anisa & Katy- Kido Info

Jess - Momelettes

We were all invited to come and see how the groceries get from your computer to your front door. I will say there was definitely a lot more to this than I had previously thought. Like how they get bananas to you in the middle of winter without freezing. They often will ride in the front seat with the driver!

My fave was how they get the ice cream to you before you need a straw to eat it...Dry ice. There are computers that will actually tell the pickers how many packs of ice to put in each bin. The orders are all scanned by people who use handheld scanners as they walk up and down the aisles, using a high tech barcode system. These pickers are not picking your items in the middle of any Stop & Shop. Nope, they are high above the normal grocery aisles that you and I see when we shop. The warehouse, is called a wareroom, located on the second story of some Stop & Shops.

So who uses the Peapod delivery service? There is a wide range of people who use this service, everyone from people who, for one reason or another, can't leave the house, to people who just plain and simply put, HATE to go to the grocery store, to people who have nannies, and maids, and even people who live in modest homes, working two jobs, and just don't have the time to shop. I, myself fit into a few of these categories.

For those of you who are not familiar with Peapod, I'll explain a little. Peapod has actually been around since 1989. Today, they are the country's leading Internet grocer. They are located in many large metro area cities. (Click HERE to see if you have service in your area.) You order your groceries online and pick a date and a time slot in which you would like to have them delivered to you front door. Typically you can have them delivered the next day, depending upon what time you are placing your order. You get personal service for a modest and nominal fee ranging from $6.95 and up.

Those of you who may be a little nervous about having someone come into your home when you are by yourself, you're not alone, many women feel this way. This was yet another topic came up today. Rest assured your driver has gone through some pretty rigorous background, and criminal checks, along with driving record checks before they are allowed to deliver to your door. Each driver is also equipped with a special GPS phone that will allow the manager back in the wareroom to see exactly where they are at any given moment. If a driver is going to be late, Peapod will call you with a notification.

Now it's been quite some time, but I have used Peapod in the past. This service was a life saver when my daughters had their first of several foot surgeries a couple of years ago. I can say with certainty that I will be using this service again, as their next surgeries creep up on us this November...again. (Hoping this will be the last!)

I will admit at first was leary about ordering my fruits and vegetables through a service. Would they be over ripe? Under ripe? Too small? Too big? Would the meats be fatty? I made the leap one day, and clicked the "Checkout" button and prayed. Well needless to say when my groceries arrived, it was if I had picked them out myself. On the tour today, my worries had been validated, when our guide, Peg Merzbacher, had stated that a lot of the people who choose your cuts of meats, and heads of lettuce are mothers, like you and I who choose your foods, as if they were shopping for themselves.

What happens when you get your groceries and you find that maybe something is missing, an egg is broken, some bread is squished? I would recommend that you inspect your groceries as soon as they arrive. Now you don't need to make the driver wait, a simple phone call will resolve any issue you may have. The customer service folks are fantastic. I have had to call only once for a problem, and it was resolved within minutes. No fighting with a rep, I didn't feel like I had to pull my hair out, I can say that it was pleasant.

Coupons? Yes they take all manufacturer coupons, and they will also double them up to 99¢ just as Stop & Shop does. However they do not accept competitors coupons, or the home mailer coupons from Stop & Shop. I placed an order today and will be using coupons of course! The system is great because you'll see a total of $60.00 on the screen, now lets say you have $20.00 in coupons. You will actually verify with a check or debit card for a $60.0o total, but the money won't be deducted until they have received your coupons, and verified them all.

Want to try Peapod for yourself?

Shop Peapod 24/7 and get $10 in FREE groceries This offer is good for first time users.