Whole Foods - end of free delivery

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Rob5TCP
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Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by Rob5TCP »

After using Whole Foods extensively during the pandemic; Whole Foods now will be charging $10 per delivery. Looks like a win for Instacart and the end of my Prime Membership.

One of the reasons I do buy from Whole Foods is the free delivery (though I frequently tipped $10 or more on a large order).
It's also my "prime" reason I have kept it all these years (1-2 day delivery is not important -- I will just order the minnimum each time).

Anyone else losing free delivery from Whole Foods.

PS living in the city, Whole foods WAS a great source; especially with the free delivery.
Snowbird501
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by Snowbird501 »

Us too, just got the email this morning. Unless it’s an emergency, that’s the end of our WF online ordering.
homebuyer6426
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by homebuyer6426 »

Yes, I did get this email from them about the service fee.

Delivery was never really free with whole foods (or with any service), it just gets hidden in the prices of the other things. I used whole foods delivery for around 6 months and was paying $25-$50 over just driving to the grocery store. That was even when I was careful to not by their high-profit-margin stuff (mostly bought stuff on sale, the store brand, or from the produce section which is reasonable). So I am back to doing my own shopping now.

I cancelled prime in 2020 and haven't looked back. I didn't like their business practices or their product quality.

I think the only way I would consider delivery grocery now is if I was going to try to live without a car.
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Jags4186
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by Jags4186 »

My local grocery store does online ordering, curbside pickup for $4.99. I find it is more than worth it because when I shop online I buy items that have coupons saving me more than $5 whereas in store I almost never remember to use coupons or find the “right” sale item.

Also, they have the groceries in your trunk within 5 minutes of notifying them of your arrival and store policy is no tipping.

They also offer local delivery for $8.99 but without a manager around the pressure to tip would be higher :wink:
ThankYouJack
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by ThankYouJack »

I wonder if the charge is from people doing small orders and those orders not being worth it for them.

I'm torn on keeping it. We usually tip $20 for large orders, so that'll be an additional $30 per order. But it saves us 2 hours or more so I think it's still worth it. We may however, try Walmart delivery or possibly Costco delivery.

I still plan to keep prime for 2 day delivery, prime music, movies, and Thursday Night Football
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SmileyFace
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by SmileyFace »

$10 a trip is still cheap and similar to other stores.
My parents no longer drive and are less mobile than they used to be. They can either pay their homemaker $25 an hour to go shopping for them or get the groceries delivered for $10. Guess which is cheaper?
When you think about the time to select and pack up the groceries and get them to your home $10 is definitely a bargain.
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Rob5TCP
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by Rob5TCP »

ThankYouJack wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:21 am I wonder if the charge is from people doing small orders and those orders not being worth it for them.

I'm torn on keeping it. We usually tip $20 for large orders, so that'll be an additional $30 per order. But it saves us 2 hours or more so I think it's still worth it. We may however, try Walmart delivery or possibly Costco delivery.

I still plan to keep prime for 2 day delivery, prime music, movies, and Thursday Night Football
Much (not all) of Costco delivery is from Instacart - separetly Costco has 2 day delivery on non frozen/refrigerated stuff.
They have a small selection of frozen that they ship, the rest is from Instacart.

I use delivery because I gave away my car at the begining of the pandemic. Parking was 4k then and was rising and I didn't use the car enough to justify it any more (I had a car in dowtown NYC for 25 + years)
02nz
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by 02nz »

Well, somebody's gotta pay for Jeff Bezos' excursions into space ... :happy
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by Dottie57 »

I think this is a fair value. Other stores charge around the same. I do most of my food shopping myself. But f sick I would be grateful for a relatively cheap way to have food delivered.
rjbraun
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by rjbraun »

Rob5TCP wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 7:51 am After using Whole Foods extensively during the pandemic; Whole Foods now will be charging $10 per delivery. Looks like a win for Instacart and the end of my Prime Membership.

One of the reasons I do buy from Whole Foods is the free delivery (though I frequently tipped $10 or more on a large order).
It's also my "prime" reason I have kept it all these years (1-2 day delivery is not important -- I will just order the minnimum each time).

Anyone else losing free delivery from Whole Foods.

PS living in the city, Whole foods WAS a great source; especially with the free delivery.
We also ordered from Whole Foods early on in the pandemic (flashback to how hard it was to even get a slot :shock:). Then we did a mix of WF and Fresh Direct. Now, we use FD about weekly with the occasional WF online supplement. But, yes, I am sorry to hear about the $10 delivery charge.

I have never used Instacart but have considered it. Personally, I think I would opt for FD, though, for sure, FD isn't perfect.

By the way, the tip option disappeared on WF orders for me several months ago. I thought it was a glitch that would get resolved. I take it that you can still tip? Our WF orders are always pretty large, so I feel particularly bad about not tipping for delivery.

I can probably write a mini-dissertation on the pros / cons of WF vs. FD, in case you are interested.

https://www.freshdirect.com/

We get our Prime Membership "for free" through a paying family member who kindly added us as additional members. So I guess the new $10 WF delivery fee stings a bit less. We may continue to use them on occasion, not sure. There are WF products we like that aren't available through FD, so for $10 in delivery, it might be worth it to us now and then. Also, FD prices probably tend to be higher than WF, so I suppose that could help to offset the WF delivery fee some.
Last edited by rjbraun on Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by rjbraun »

Rob5TCP wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:27 am
ThankYouJack wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:21 am I wonder if the charge is from people doing small orders and those orders not being worth it for them.

I'm torn on keeping it. We usually tip $20 for large orders, so that'll be an additional $30 per order. But it saves us 2 hours or more so I think it's still worth it. We may however, try Walmart delivery or possibly Costco delivery.

I still plan to keep prime for 2 day delivery, prime music, movies, and Thursday Night Football
Much (not all) of Costco delivery is from Instacart - separetly Costco has 2 day delivery on non frozen/refrigerated stuff.
They have a small selection of frozen that they ship, the rest is from Instacart.

I use delivery because I gave away my car at the begining of the pandemic. Parking was 4k then and was rising and I didn't use the car enough to justify it any more (I had a car in dowtown NYC for 25 + years)
Oh, when you say you may switch to Instacart I guess you may mean for Costco delivery. I hadn't considered that, I thought it was Instacart for purchases at various stores like Fairway, TJ's, etc.

Wow, 4k to park a car in downtown NYC. And that would be on top of insurance and general car maintenance. Okay, any thoughts I had of possible car ownership can be shelved for now. Thank you
ThankYouJack
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by ThankYouJack »

rjbraun wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:35 am
By the way, the tip option disappeared on WF orders for me several months ago. I thought it was a glitch that would get resolved. I take it that you can still tip? Our WF orders are always pretty large, so I feel particularly bad about not tipping for delivery.
The tip amount isn't on the final step before paying? It is for us so not sure why it would be different. I suppose you could leave cash for the driver if you're not able to tip through the checkout process.
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msi
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by msi »

rjbraun wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:35 am
Rob5TCP wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 7:51 am After using Whole Foods extensively during the pandemic; Whole Foods now will be charging $10 per delivery. Looks like a win for Instacart and the end of my Prime Membership.

One of the reasons I do buy from Whole Foods is the free delivery (though I frequently tipped $10 or more on a large order).
It's also my "prime" reason I have kept it all these years (1-2 day delivery is not important -- I will just order the minnimum each time).

Anyone else losing free delivery from Whole Foods.

PS living in the city, Whole foods WAS a great source; especially with the free delivery.
We also ordered from Whole Foods early on in the pandemic (flashback to how hard it was to even get a slot :shock:). Then we did a mix of WF and Fresh Direct. Now, we use FD about weekly with the occasional WF online supplement. But, yes, I am sorry to hear about the $10 delivery charge.

I have never used Instacart but have considered it. Personally, I think I would opt for FD, though, for sure, FD isn't perfect.

By the way, the tip option disappeared on WF orders for me several months ago. I thought it was a glitch that would get resolved. I take it that you can still tip? Our WF orders are always pretty large, so I feel particularly bad about not tipping for delivery.

I can probably write a mini-dissertation on the pros / cons of WF vs. FD, in case you are interested.

https://www.freshdirect.com/

We get our Prime Membership "for free" through a paying family member who kindly added us as additional members. So I guess the new $10 WF delivery fee stings a bit less. We may continue to use them on occasion, not sure. There are WF products we like that aren't available through FD, so for $10 in delivery, it might be worth it to us now and then. Also, FD prices probably tend to be higher than WF, so I suppose that could help to offset the WF delivery fee some.
You can still tip on WF, but I don't think the option is available with gift card/credit balance.

We tried Fresh Direct recently and thought the quality was excellent, but it was definitely more expensive than Whole Foods for what we bought. Not even including the fees tacked on, just the actual grocery prices.
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Rob5TCP
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by Rob5TCP »

rjbraun wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:35 am
Rob5TCP wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 7:51 am After using Whole Foods extensively during the pandemic; Whole Foods now will be charging $10 per delivery. Looks like a win for Instacart and the end of my Prime Membership.

One of the reasons I do buy from Whole Foods is the free delivery (though I frequently tipped $10 or more on a large order).
It's also my "prime" reason I have kept it all these years (1-2 day delivery is not important -- I will just order the minnimum each time).

Anyone else losing free delivery from Whole Foods.

PS living in the city, Whole foods WAS a great source; especially with the free delivery.
We also ordered from Whole Foods early on in the pandemic (flashback to how hard it was to even get a slot :shock:). Then we did a mix of WF and Fresh Direct. Now, we use FD about weekly with the occasional WF online supplement. But, yes, I am sorry to hear about the $10 delivery charge.

I have never used Instacart but have considered it. Personally, I think I would opt for FD, though, for sure, FD isn't perfect.

By the way, the tip option disappeared on WF orders for me several months ago. I thought it was a glitch that would get resolved. I take it that you can still tip? Our WF orders are always pretty large, so I feel particularly bad about not tipping for delivery.

I can probably write a mini-dissertation on the pros / cons of WF vs. FD, in case you are interested.

https://www.freshdirect.com/

We get our Prime Membership "for free" through a paying family member who kindly added us as additional members. So I guess the new $10 WF delivery fee stings a bit less. We may continue to use them on occasion, not sure. There are WF products we like that aren't available through FD, so for $10 in delivery, it might be worth it to us now and then. Also, FD prices probably tend to be higher than WF, so I suppose that could help to offset the WF delivery fee some.
I used FD for once a month or so (when I had my car). They were for fill ins. I still use them and every once in awhile I get 6 months free delivery (has happened twice including last month). Maybe because I used them from the begining. Otherwise I use their Tue-Thur deliveries which is a $39 charge for 6 months no delivery charge.

Instacart covers the following supermarkets in Manhattan:
Fairway
"Costco"
Wegman's (though that was a disaster when i ordered from them)
West Side Market
Key Foods
Target
West Side Market
Eataly
Walgreens ?
CVS
Morton Williams
Gristedes
Mulberry Market
Citarella
and a ton of smaller places

You can choose unlimited monthly delivery for a flat fee.

So, I will go with FD and Instacart, and drop Amazon Prime when it runs out.
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by rjbraun »

ThankYouJack wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:55 am
rjbraun wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:35 am
By the way, the tip option disappeared on WF orders for me several months ago. I thought it was a glitch that would get resolved. I take it that you can still tip? Our WF orders are always pretty large, so I feel particularly bad about not tipping for delivery.
The tip amount isn't on the final step before paying? It is for us so not sure why it would be different. I suppose you could leave cash for the driver if you're not able to tip through the checkout process.
Nope. It used to be there, and it even allowed me to modify the tip within 24 hours of the delivery - a feature I really liked (only ever increased the amount). Not sure why the tip line went away. The only thing I can think of is that I have been using my Amazon gift card to pay (generated a large balance during Chase 5X Ultimate Rewards bonus periods) and, inexplicably, that blocks out the tip line? Yeah, unfortunately it's a bit awkward to leave cash - even though I recognize that handing cash to the delivery person is more direct and ensures they will receive it. But my building has a doorman who will, ideally, take in the delivery. And I'm just concerned that handing him cash (or an envelope containing cash) can create other issues (will he compare our tips to delivery people to what he gets from us, etc.). :(
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scorcher31
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by scorcher31 »

I don't suppose the services fee is going to be in place of tips? Ours begins mid October.
Last edited by scorcher31 on Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by scorcher31 »

rjbraun wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:37 am
ThankYouJack wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:55 am
rjbraun wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:35 am
By the way, the tip option disappeared on WF orders for me several months ago. I thought it was a glitch that would get resolved. I take it that you can still tip? Our WF orders are always pretty large, so I feel particularly bad about not tipping for delivery.
The tip amount isn't on the final step before paying? It is for us so not sure why it would be different. I suppose you could leave cash for the driver if you're not able to tip through the checkout process.
Nope. It used to be there, and it even allowed me to modify the tip within 24 hours of the delivery - a feature I really liked (only ever increased the amount). Not sure why the tip line went away. The only thing I can think of is that I have been using my Amazon gift card to pay (generated a large balance during Chase 5X Ultimate Rewards bonus periods) and, inexplicably, that blocks out the tip line? Yeah, unfortunately it's a bit awkward to leave cash - even though I recognize that handing cash to the delivery person is more direct and ensures they will receive it. But my building has a doorman who will, ideally, take in the delivery. And I'm just concerned that handing him cash (or an envelope containing cash) can create other issues (will he compare our tips to delivery people to what he gets from us, etc.). :(
Just FWI if you use a gift card instead of a credit card to pay there is no option for tips.
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by rjbraun »

msi wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:55 am You can still tip on WF, but I don't think the option is available with gift card/credit balance.

We tried Fresh Direct recently and thought the quality was excellent, but it was definitely more expensive than Whole Foods for what we bought. Not even including the fees tacked on, just the actual grocery prices.
Ok, thank you. Yes, we started using an Amazon gift card balance a while ago and that must account for the change with the tip line item. That's good to know. Even though we still have a sizable balance I would like to draw down, maybe I'll use a credit card so we can be sure to tip the delivery person. I felt bad about not tipping and even considered just trying to approach a random WF delivery person I saw on the street to hand them a cash tip. I figure it might help to make their day!

Yeah, Fresh Direct is pricey. We have the midweek "free" delivery service. It's worked out well, especially earlier in the pandemic when it was still hard to get Whole Food delivery slots and we weren't yet vaccinated. We were fine with paying up to reduce our risk of getting sick. In my experience, FD has at least been responsive when we've had an issue. So, while it doesn't negate the aggravation or additional cost, it still helps some. We've received credits when we've had food quality or service issues. Amazon Prime / WF has also been good on that front, though we've had fewer instances of trying to do this.
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by scophreak »

I'm not surprised by the delivery fee, but certainly disappointed. Not so much by the actual cost, but by the fact that Amazon moved some items of interest previously available directly from Amazon to availability ONLY through Whole Foods. Not such a big deal without delivery costs, but the "new" fee means that ordering these items only becomes reasonable if a much larger order is placed.
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by rjbraun »

Rob5TCP wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:25 am I used FD for once a month or so (when I had my car). They were for fill ins. I still use them and every once in awhile I get 6 months free delivery (has happened twice including last month). Maybe because I used them from the begining. Otherwise I use their Tue-Thur deliveries which is a $39 charge for 6 months no delivery charge.

Instacart covers the following supermarkets in Manhattan:
Fairway
"Costco"
Wegman's (though that was a disaster when i ordered from them)
West Side Market
Key Foods
Target
West Side Market
Eataly
Walgreens ?
CVS
Morton Williams
Gristedes
Mulberry Market
Citarella
and a ton of smaller places

You can choose unlimited monthly delivery for a flat fee.

So, I will go with FD and Instacart, and drop Amazon Prime when it runs out.
Fresh Direct had some promo going on over the summer. It was I think 5% off orders (no cap) for FD Delivery Pass (DP) customers and free delivery for non-DP holders. I initially thought it was an either/or proposition and was excited that I thought I could order outside of my mid-week DP window and get free delivery.

They periodically seem to have a mid-week DP pass promo where you get $5 off each order. Admittedly, not huge $ but since I don't have it I am kind of envious. :wink:

With Instacart my understanding is that it is basically an individual (unaffiliated with the store merchant) who does the shopping. Based on random reviews I've read I sensed that the service quality / reliability could be inconsistent. Maybe with substitutions, especially. Between that and learning a whole new interface / process I've just managed with WF and FD, for the most part.

I've actually been pretty pleased with Mercato. I've used them for Citarella, Raffetto's, and Amy's Breads. There are others, mostly smaller shops, I think, but also some larger ones. At least in the past they had some free trial period, though you had to give your credit card details upfront. I was tempted but just paid separately for each delivery. I think it was the right call, in my case.

https://www.mercato.com/store-results

My understanding is that the merchant fills the order and then, basically, some independent delivery person retrieves and delivers the order.

Have been able to tweak orders, either by an online note or maybe by calling the merchant - I can't remember exactly. So, if you know the merchant's products but don't find it on the Mercato website, you might be able to get the item included in the order. Takes some effort so probably works better for just an item here and there.

Can also order for in-person pickup without fees, I think. This may have changed as Mercato has started adding various fees. Order cancellation doesn't seem too onerous (though haven't tried myself).

Note: Citarella also uses its own delivery service for its (direct Citarella, non-Mercato) online orders. One holiday period we couldn't get a Citarella slot near-term but were able to just order via Mercato. Not even sure it costs us more and maybe was even less money. Either way, it was the holidays and we were fine even if we had to pay up slightly. Actually, this was an instance where I was able to speak with someone at Citarella and work through desired substitutions with the merchant.

Eta: I think there can be some price deviation between in-store and what's on Mercato's site. Not sure if this is intentional or an oversight. I haven't noticed anything egregious in my limited experience, but it is probably worth being aware of. In the instance I noticed, Mercato's prices were higher. My understanding is that the merchant enters the info directly on Mercato, though I could be wrong.
Last edited by rjbraun on Fri Sep 24, 2021 10:39 am, edited 2 times in total.
Californiastate
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by Californiastate »

WF isn't the cheapest option out there. $10 delivery is the tip of the iceberg. We've always shopped at FoodMax or Winco with the other Shudras.
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by RXfiles »

Jags4186 wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 8:01 am I find it is more than worth it because when I shop online I buy items that have coupons saving me more than $5 whereas in store I almost never remember to use coupons or find the “right” sale item.
I lose patience when im standing in the store comparing prices and looking for stuff. Id rather not stand there and search around to save 30cents on an item vs being able to order it on my phone on the couch.
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by homebuyer6426 »

Californiastate wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 10:35 am WF isn't the cheapest option out there. $10 delivery is the tip of the iceberg. We've always shopped at FoodMax or Winco with the other Shudras.
Agreed, and I would drive an hour to Winco when I lived in California, because the prices were so much better.
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beyou
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by beyou »

I got the notice too.
My wife wants only organic foods when possible. In that context Whole Foods is hard to beat.

While we started with home delivery during the pandemic, it seems so convenient we'll continue.
My wife used to go to 3 different supermarkets regularly since none had all she wanted.
Now we still use 3 or more supermarkets but most of the orders are online.
I rotate between Amazon Fresh (traditional supermarket products), Whole Foods both delivery,
and find some items I can only get at local stores despite using both. So we go to the closest major
chain to get a number of staples, but only go there once/month vs every week in the past.
Seems like such a chore going there in person now.
We also love Trader Joes and would order online if they offered it, but during the pandemic they had long lines and I refused
to wait on line for any store. Prefer to order online, and happy to wait a day or two if I must for delivery. Pandemic or no pandemic.

I'll pay the $10 but wont order WF as often as I had been, and likely less generous on the tips.
If they collect more revenue they can pay their drivers better. And honestly one of my only frustrations with delivery
lately is the drivers themselves. Amazon stupidly shows their location on a map in the app, and one time recently a driver stopped
just blocks from my house and sat there for half an hour. He must have been on a phone call or something. My frozen items were all melted.
I had Amazon refund EVERY FROZEN ITEM, and gave ZERO tip. I hate to give no tip, but if the service is terrible zero is better than a small tip, to send a message. But with the $10 fee I just can't give huge tips on top of that. Note I also had tried Peapod (Stop & Shop) and they do not allow tips online. So the driver indicated he usually gets $5.00 cash tip. So now it's $15/order min with the new fee, more if you want to be generous with the tip.
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by boogiehead »

Interesting didn't realize Whole Foods had free delivery for prime members... but I guess that explains why every time I stepped into Whole Foods since the pandemic more than half the shoppers were amazon delivery personnel just on their smartphones running around the entire store.
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by rjbraun »

beyou wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:07 pm I got the notice too.
My wife wants only organic foods when possible. In that context Whole Foods is hard to beat.

While we started with home delivery during the pandemic, it seems so convenient we'll continue.
My wife used to go to 3 different supermarkets regularly since none had all she wanted.
Now we still use 3 or more supermarkets but most of the orders are online.
I rotate between Amazon Fresh (traditional supermarket products), Whole Foods both delivery,
and find some items I can only get at local stores despite using both. So we go to the closest major
chain to get a number of staples, but only go there once/month vs every week in the past.
Seems like such a chore going there in person now.
We also love Trader Joes and would order online if they offered it, but during the pandemic they had long lines and I refused
to wait on line for any store. Prefer to order online, and happy to wait a day or two if I must for delivery. Pandemic or no pandemic.

I'll pay the $10 but wont order WF as often as I had been, and likely less generous on the tips.
If they collect more revenue they can pay their drivers better. And honestly one of my only frustrations with delivery
lately is the drivers themselves. Amazon stupidly shows their location on a map in the app, and one time recently a driver stopped
just blocks from my house and sat there for half an hour. He must have been on a phone call or something. My frozen items were all melted.
I had Amazon refund EVERY FROZEN ITEM, and gave ZERO tip. I hate to give no tip, but if the service is terrible zero is better than a small tip, to send a message. But with the $10 fee I just can't give huge tips on top of that. Note I also had tried Peapod (Stop & Shop) and they do not allow tips online. So the driver indicated he usually gets $5.00 cash tip. So now it's $15/order min with the new fee, more if you want to be generous with the tip.
Do you have reason to feel certain that the driver was not working while he was, as you say, stopped near your house, and that he was also responsible for the thawed frozen items? I would think Amazon / WF monitors their deliveries closely, for various reasons, and I would wonder how easily a driver could just "idle" while on the job.
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by TomatoTomahto »

I renewed my Instacart annual membership (iirc $100). We use it exclusively for Wegmans. Between my Amex 6% (up to $6k/year) discount and various coupons found in the Wegmans app, I’m good.

They do have an occasional substitution that makes no sense: Bibb lettuce as a substitute for fresh parsley????
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by beyou »

rjbraun wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:30 pm
beyou wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:07 pm Amazon stupidly shows their location on a map in the app, and one time recently a driver stopped
just blocks from my house and sat there for half an hour.
He must have been on a phone call or something. My frozen items were all melted.
I had Amazon refund EVERY FROZEN ITEM, and gave ZERO tip. I hate to give no tip, but if the service is terrible zero is better than a small tip, to send a message. But with the $10 fee I just can't give huge tips on top of that. Note I also had tried Peapod (Stop & Shop) and they do not allow tips online. So the driver indicated he usually gets $5.00 cash tip. So now it's $15/order min with the new fee, more if you want to be generous with the tip.
Do you have reason to feel certain that the driver was not working while he was, as you say, stopped near your house, and that he was also responsible for the thawed frozen items? I would think Amazon / WF monitors their deliveries closely, for various reasons, and I would wonder how easily a driver could just "idle" while on the job.
The location of the delivery vehicle per Amazon app was on a nearby residential street where there is simply NO TRAFFIC AT ALL.
So if he was idle not moving then either his vehicle stopped working or he stopped working.
Not my problem either way, my frozen food melted while it sat on a quiet residential street just blocks away.

There have been other times my frozen food melted because I wasn't the first stop and the stop before me was way off in a different direction from my home (you can see the car moving on the app away from my town). Unfortunately I am not that close to the WF store from where they deliver (same reason I don't go there to shop, if not for the delivery service I would never shop at WF, too crowed and many stores are closer). The reason doesn't matter to me. Either they get fresh food here quickly OR the delivery service was bad. The tip is ONLY for the delivery service, nothing else. The only thing they can do in the store to improve the situation would be better insulation in the packaging.

Note Peapod delivers in a refrigerated truck, so no complaints for the driver, I always tip and never have to "return" items.
This is my biggest pet peeve about Amazon. But we like the WF products and often Amazon can schedule deliveries sooner than other services.
They just need to get the frozen/fresh food issue fixed.
Last edited by beyou on Fri Sep 24, 2021 2:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.
UpperNwGuy
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by UpperNwGuy »

I love shopping in-person at Whole Foods. I've been shopping there for twenty years, and I know where everything is on the shelves. If something I want is out of stock, which has been happening a lot these past eighteen months, I can scan the shelves for similar items and make my own decision on an alternative product. I watch the paid shoppers zipping up and down the aisles unable to find what the online shopper wants, and attempting to match product descriptions on their smartphone screens with what's actually on the shelves. I thank my lucky stars that I don't have to rely on such a sorry process. I am also amused by some of my friends who order their groceries online "to minimize covid exposure opportunities" yet don't seem to mind eating at restaurants. Whole Foods is much safer than restaurants.
homebuyer6426
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by homebuyer6426 »

TomatoTomahto wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:52 pm I renewed my Instacart annual membership (iirc $100). We use it exclusively for Wegmans. Between my Amex 6% (up to $6k/year) discount and various coupons found in the Wegmans app, I’m good.

They do have an occasional substitution that makes no sense: Bibb lettuce as a substitute for fresh parsley????
The food prices on the Wegmans website are higher than what you will find in the store. They also tack on several fees. I just go there now. Never have to worry about someone messing my order up or picking low quality produce or short-dated meat. And I found that I would spend about equal time on the website as I would in the store anyway.
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beyou
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by beyou »

UpperNwGuy wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:59 pm I love shopping in-person at Whole Foods. I've been shopping there for twenty years, and I know where everything is on the shelves. If something I want is out of stock, which has been happening a lot these past eighteen months, I can scan the shelves for similar items and make my own decision on an alternative product. I watch the paid shoppers zipping up and down the aisles unable to find what the online shopper wants, and attempting to match product descriptions on their smartphone screens with what's actually on the shelves. I thank my lucky stars that I don't have to rely on such a sorry process. I am also amused by some of my friends who order their groceries online "to minimize covid exposure opportunities" yet don't seem to mind eating at restaurants. Whole Foods is much safer than restaurants.
The closest location to me is a drive through a high traffic area, parking in a very crowded parking lot, then walking up and down very crowded aisles.
The next closest location (from which they deliver) is just too far away and I'd never drive there.
The fact they don't deliver from the closest location is a good indicator of just how crowded that closest store is on a regular basis.
They can't even stand shopping in their own store !
UpperNwGuy
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by UpperNwGuy »

beyou wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 2:04 pm
UpperNwGuy wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:59 pm I love shopping in-person at Whole Foods. I've been shopping there for twenty years, and I know where everything is on the shelves. If something I want is out of stock, which has been happening a lot these past eighteen months, I can scan the shelves for similar items and make my own decision on an alternative product. I watch the paid shoppers zipping up and down the aisles unable to find what the online shopper wants, and attempting to match product descriptions on their smartphone screens with what's actually on the shelves. I thank my lucky stars that I don't have to rely on such a sorry process. I am also amused by some of my friends who order their groceries online "to minimize covid exposure opportunities" yet don't seem to mind eating at restaurants. Whole Foods is much safer than restaurants.
The closest location to me is a drive through a high traffic area, parking in a very crowded parking lot, then walking up and down very crowded aisles.
The next closest location (from which they deliver) is just too far away and I'd never drive there.
The fact they don't deliver from the closest location is a good indicator of just how crowded that closest store is on a regular basis.
They can't even stand shopping in their own store !
Oh, my local Whole Foods also has an incredibly crowded parking garage, along with the associated hassles of having to validate the parking which I forget to do about 20% of the time, forcing me to go back up the elevator into the store. My store also has narrow, crowded aisles. But I can deal with these problems. I'm surprised you let them intimidate you.
rjbraun
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by rjbraun »

beyou wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:59 pm
rjbraun wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:30 pm
beyou wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:07 pm Amazon stupidly shows their location on a map in the app, and one time recently a driver stopped
just blocks from my house and sat there for half an hour.
He must have been on a phone call or something. My frozen items were all melted.
I had Amazon refund EVERY FROZEN ITEM, and gave ZERO tip. I hate to give no tip, but if the service is terrible zero is better than a small tip, to send a message. But with the $10 fee I just can't give huge tips on top of that. Note I also had tried Peapod (Stop & Shop) and they do not allow tips online. So the driver indicated he usually gets $5.00 cash tip. So now it's $15/order min with the new fee, more if you want to be generous with the tip.
Do you have reason to feel certain that the driver was not working while he was, as you say, stopped near your house, and that he was also responsible for the thawed frozen items? I would think Amazon / WF monitors their deliveries closely, for various reasons, and I would wonder how easily a driver could just "idle" while on the job.
The location of the delivery vehicle per Amazon app was on a nearby residential street where there is simply NO TRAFFIC AT ALL.
So if he was idle not moving then either his vehicle stopped working or he stopped working.
Not my problem either way, my frozen food melted while it sat on a quiet residential street just blocks away.

There have been other times my frozen food melted because I wasn't the first stop and the stop before me was way off in a different direction from my home (you can see the car moving on the app away from my town). Unfortunately I am not that close to the WF store from where they deliver (same reason I don't go there to shop, if not for the delivery service I would never shop at WF, too crowed and many stores are closer). The reason doesn't matter to me. Either they get fresh food here quickly OR the delivery service was bad. The tip is ONLY for the delivery service, nothing else. The only thing they can do in the store to improve the situation would be better insulation in the packaging.

Note Peapod delivers in a refrigerated truck, so no complaints for the driver, I always tip and never have to "return" items.
This is my biggest pet peeve about Amazon. But we like the WF products and often Amazon can schedule deliveries sooner than other services.
They just need to get the frozen/fresh food issue fixed.
Actually, we've had a similar issue with WF frozen items arriving partially thawed. Sounds like WF needs to work on this. I'm okay with this for frozen vegetables (not ideal, but 365 organic veggies are significantly cheaper and better quality than our other options), but, for sure, I make a point to order ice cream elsewhere.
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beyou
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Re: Whole Foods - end of free delivery

Post by beyou »

UpperNwGuy wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 2:07 pm
beyou wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 2:04 pm
UpperNwGuy wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:59 pm I love shopping in-person at Whole Foods. I've been shopping there for twenty years, and I know where everything is on the shelves. If something I want is out of stock, which has been happening a lot these past eighteen months, I can scan the shelves for similar items and make my own decision on an alternative product. I watch the paid shoppers zipping up and down the aisles unable to find what the online shopper wants, and attempting to match product descriptions on their smartphone screens with what's actually on the shelves. I thank my lucky stars that I don't have to rely on such a sorry process. I am also amused by some of my friends who order their groceries online "to minimize covid exposure opportunities" yet don't seem to mind eating at restaurants. Whole Foods is much safer than restaurants.
The closest location to me is a drive through a high traffic area, parking in a very crowded parking lot, then walking up and down very crowded aisles.
The next closest location (from which they deliver) is just too far away and I'd never drive there.
The fact they don't deliver from the closest location is a good indicator of just how crowded that closest store is on a regular basis.
They can't even stand shopping in their own store !
Oh, my local Whole Foods also has an incredibly crowded parking garage, along with the associated hassles of having to validate the parking which I forget to do about 20% of the time, forcing me to go back up the elevator into the store. My store also has narrow, crowded aisles. But I can deal with these problems. I'm surprised you let them intimidate you.
Not a matter of being intimidated by the store.
I have more pleasant options, like paying for delivery and other stores. I am not intimidated by spending money for convenience.
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