twodoebs

Since becoming the mother of two just about 6 months ago, I have struggled with figuring out how exactly one grocery shops when one child's car seat takes up the entire cart and the other child isn't really old enough to freely walk around the grocery store for fear of dawdling or running off and general disturbances. I have managed my way around this by trying to grocery shop while they nap on Saturday's and Sunday's and Doebtown can stay home with them. But that doesn't of course mean there haven't been times when I've needed to hit the grocery store and have them both in tow. These trips to the store totally bum me out. I end up sweaty, carrying Libby while pushing the cart full of primarily Heidi but whatever groceries I can pile around her in the car seat.

Recently however, Market District has come to my aid! They just launched a new service called Curbside Express which pairs two of the best things in the world - online shopping and 'drive thru' style pick up. Here's the gist. Shop online through their website. . .select a pick up time . . .at your appointed window (windows are 30 minute segments), you show up to the store and pull up in the designated areas out front . . .call the number on the poster which marks the parking areas and one of the Curbside Express team gathers your bags and brings them out to your car . . .an attendant with a hand-held credit card machine comes and swipes your card so that you don't have to get out of the car while another team member loads up the groceries for you.

I have tried this service now twice and I'm totally over the moon!!!! Don't get me wrong, there are a million areas to improve upon. This is definitely their "1.0" version. Specifically:
1. It can be a little difficult to know exactly what you're going to get when you're buying things that are from the bakery/produce area. If you're super picky and like to get your hands all over the apple before you buy it, this is probably not the service for you. You definitely need a little faith and flexibility.

2. They don't always have exactly what you put in your cart. But both times I've bought thru curbside express someone called within 2 hrs of my pick up time to go thru what they didn't have and what my options were. For example "We don't have Chobani Very Berry yogurt, we do have Chobani in orange or chocolate, or Yo Kids Greek yogurt in raspberry" (they had all the price/size options too). This way you can make decisions on the fly. It's kind of a bummer that you can put it in your cart then they don't have it. But to me this is no different than me making a list on Saturday at home and them not having it come Sunday afternoon.

3. You don't get to use the millions of reusable grocery bags. So while we've been amassing all these eco-fabulous reusable bags, this system is all paper/plastic. But seriously, for the convenience I'm totally ok with it!

4. The website isn't awesome. Not everything has images (which lead me to accidentally buying Disney bandaids last week. Oops) and the organization of all the inventory isn't quite there yet.

5. The keyword searching SEEMS to only look for keywords in the product name. So for example, while searching for "Baby Foods/First Foods" I only get 15 results. These 15 products have the words "FIRST FOODS" in their title. If I search under "Baby Foods/Organic" there are SCADS of options which ARE first foods but don't say as much in their product title so don't appear on the "first foods" results. I suppose if the keyword search queried also product DESCRIPTION in their database, the searching process will become more holistic and accurate.

6. Once you submit and inevitably realize you forgot something, you CAN go back and update your order (so long as it's not too close to pick up time) but the flow by which you do that is a little circuitous. There are some improvements there. I mean, I know this is my line of work so I'm more inclined to find website usability issues but there are def tons of improvements which I can only hope are coming!

7. They need a MOBILE APP!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have an app to manage my grocery list as it is. So until Market District develops one, I will have to go to my app to create my list then use my list when I go into the site to 'shop'. In time, I PLEAD that this app allow me to build my list all ad hoc as I run out of things during the week or as they occur to me.

Despite these issues - I truly am thrilled about this service. I've been going on and on about it on facebook too. The convenience charge is very low if you ask me - for the value they are providing me. Right now the fee is $4.95 (though it's waived for your first time) and truthfully I'd happily pay twice that for not having to lug two kids thru the store taking 7 trips to the potty in between.

I also am very hopeful that not only will this process improve over time but my deep hope is that this new service is the pre-cursor to grocery delivery!!!! Oh how can I dream of PeaPod or Fresh Direct or perhaps Market District DELIVERY!?!?!?

Ahhh - dreams. Until then, I will totally be rocking the Curbside Express Service!!!!!!!!! Thank you Market District for making my weekend trip to the store a BUNCH better!!!