Long lines, hard to find items or screaming children, whatever it is that makes you dread that weekly trip to the grocery store, you don't have to put up with any of it anymore. Houston's two largest grocery chains are now offering curbside pick-up at some stores. Consumer expert Amy Davis tried both of them to show you how they compare.
Instead of aisle by aisle, you'll have to get used to shopping page by page online. If you already have a Kroger Plus Card, ClickList (hyperlink to: ) knows what you buy every week. Those items will pop up as "your favorites," so there's less hunting and pecking on the website. On ClickList, you can also start shopping and come back to your virtual cart as often as you like to add items before setting your pick-up time.
"There's a lot of people that strictly do not have the time to shop," said Kroger's Jason Payne.
"I just don't like going inside," said customer Randall Sterling, who has used ClickList twice.
Sterling orders online, sets up a pick-up time as early as the next day at 8 a.m., drives up to specially marked parking spots at Kroger, pays from his car and waits while Kroger employees load the groceries in his trunk.
"There's no downside at all," Sterling told Davis. "Zero downside."
ClickList costs $4.95 each time you use it; but Kroger is waiving that fee for your first three ClickList shops.
You pay the same price for the products that you would in store, even sales prices. They will accept your coupons at the curb and ring up your discounted balance.
If an item you order is out of stock, you'll get an upgrade at no extra cost.
"If a customer orders a 64-ounce juice (and we're out of stock), then we'll give them the bigger size for the same price," explained Payne.
Davis tried HEB Curbside with her three kids in tow. If you bring your kids along, HEB employees bring them free cookies to the car.
The service is also $4.95, but Davis noticed prices for almost every item are higher through HEB Curbside than if you just do the shop yourself.
A gallon of Central Market milk, for example, is $5.28 in store, but $5.44 online. A 30-pack of Charmin is $14.57 in store and $15.01 online.
If an item is on sale at HEB, you won't get the sale price through the Curbside service; and you can't use manufacturer's coupons.
HEB Curbside is available at just one store now, the I-10 and Bunker Hill location. Kroger ClickList is now at 14 stores; and expanding to a total of 22 stores by the end of September.