Online shopping and home delivery: what to do?

Our country may be experiencing a challenging time these past few weeks, but in 2020, online grocery shopping is more relevant than ever, given the current state of lockdown. Beyond the undeniable challenges of a young distribution system, which in recent years has failed to equip itself as a true competitor to the retail channel, which dominates in sales figures, we can say that following the widespread diffusion and success of platforms like Amazon , the most popular national supermarket chains have finally decided to launch "online grocery shopping home delivery" in a big way. But which Italian brands have successfully embraced this "smart" philosophy to offer their customers the ultimate in convenience and speed in grocery shopping? In this article, we'll look at how these retailers have equipped themselves to offer a positive online shopping experience to their customers. From traditional retail chains of large-scale retail trade (GDO), to hard discounts , from the so-called " Digital Supermarkets " to the most recent home delivery solutions, to food delivery platforms . Generally, all these grocery shopping solutions allow for payment directly online or upon delivery , with the option of agreeing a time in some cases. With the exception of Food Delivery, which acts as a "delivery boy" for online grocery shopping, shipping and delivery usually take place a few days apart (except currently in Italy, where a few days' delay is entirely understandable). It's always advisable to place large orders so you don't have to place another one soon. Here are the main Italian online grocery shopping platforms with home delivery.

Large-scale distribution

Our domestic champions are the Esselunga, Coop, Conad, PAM, and Selex groups, known to Italian consumers from North to South by the names of dozens of brands. Selex distributes its products through the Mercatò, Famila, A&O, Alì, Dpiù, and Il Gigante chains; the PAM group through Panorama, Pam, Pam Local, and In's . Let's take a look at what some of the major Italian players have to offer.

Esselunga

With the Esselungaacasa service (or by dropping off your groceries at a Locker), delivery costs €7.90 (€6.90 for orders over €110). However, if you purchase products included in special promotions, delivery can be free or discounted to €2.90.

Coop

Depending on the region, EasyCoop or E-Coop services are available. EasyCoop offers direct delivery of online shopping; there is no maximum purchase limit (except for a maximum of 48 liters of bottled water), while the minimum spend to use the service is €50. Shipping costs vary and are only declared when the order is finalized. Those who choose specific time slots will incur higher costs than those who choose to receive their products over a longer period. With Coop, you can also take advantage of Coop Drive , the online shopping service with free in-store pickup.

Conad

" Altuoservizio " is Conad's website for online grocery shopping. First, check your address for home delivery or in-store pickup (Altuoservizio is available in the following provinces: Arezzo, Cagliari, Caserta, Catanzaro, Cosenza, Crotone, Florence, Frosinone, Grosseto, La Spezia, Latina, Livorno, Lucca, Massa-Carrara, Naples, Nuoro, Olbia-Tempio, Oristano, Palermo, Perugia, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato, Rieti, Rome, Salerno, Sassari, Siena, Southern Sardinia, and Viterbo).

Selex

Through its portal, Selex offers online shopping for some of its brands (Mercatò, Famila, Emisfero). Il Gigante doesn't offer a true online shopping service , but rather home delivery, which is done in-store. This service costs €4 .

Ones

Customers must shop in-store, and then inform the store clerk of their desire to have their groceries delivered to their home for €3.90. The minimum spend for home delivery is €39.00. For those over 65, the basic rate is €1.90.

The Hard Discounts

Having a "no-frills, low-cost" policy, hard discounters rarely offer their own online store: Penny Market, Lidl, Dipiù and In's , to name some of the largest and most widespread in the territory, have not yet equipped themselves with their own stores, but often rely on specialized delivery networks such as Supermercato24.

Todis

" Todis a Casa " is the new online grocery shopping and home delivery service, currently available only at select stores. Find out more by visiting todisacasa.it.

Eurospin

Eurospin recently opened its store, but for now, it only sells non-food products (clothing, home, high-tech, DIY, games, etc.). Home delivery starts at €4.99.

Other delivery services

Supermarket24

" Choose your supermarket, shop online, and have your products delivered to your home at your preferred time. Save time and avoid lines and heavy bags! " With this simple formula, the Italian startup founded by Enrico Pandian has effectively created a new micro-sector in Italy. Since there is no retail chain behind the network, Supermercato24 collaborates with supermarkets to offer the same prices you would find in store. Coop, Conad, Esselunga, Carrefour, Lidl, Famila, Bennet, Pam, Mercatò, and Eurospin: Supermercato24 has in fact established agreements with the best national chains. Once you choose the store where you want to buy your products, a dedicated Supermercato24 Shopper will actually do the shopping for you. If you have any questions or problems, they will contact you before proceeding with the delivery within a few days! The service mainly covers large cities, while in the municipalities it is more difficult to find a "Shopper". Delivery has a basic cost of €4.90, and some options have additional charges (for express delivery, for carts under €40, and for cash payments).

Glovo

Glovo, in a certain sense, is a new competitor to Supermercato24, having started out as a simple smartphone app for home delivery of snacks and drinks (like competitors Uber Eats, Just Eat, Deliveroo, etc.). However, Glovo later expanded to include home delivery of medications, shopping items, and sweets. Through direct distribution agreements with several chains, it also offers grocery delivery. Technically, Glovo is a platform through which local stores offer a selection of their products or services to users, who then receive home delivery by a delivery driver. Glovo's great advantages are the ability to order from anywhere, the rapid service, and the ability to track deliveries in real time from your phone. The only downside is that the range of covered supermarkets is still limited, at least in large cities.