August is Shop Online for Groceries Month and it’s an opportunity for shoppers all over the country to give it a try. Shopping online for groceries is a relatively new concept but it’s quickly growing in popularity. Online grocery shopping is especially beneficial for elderly adults and family caregivers who find it time-consuming or difficult to get to the grocery store.
What is Online Grocery Shopping?
Online grocery shopping is just what it sounds like—shopping for groceries at a store with an online order system. There are two different types of online grocery shopping, from the local grocery store and from a distribution center. The local grocery store has a website where shoppers choose the items they want and place them in a virtual shopping cart. When they are finished, they pay for the groceries through the website. Then they can schedule a time to drive to the store to have their groceries loaded up by a store employee. Some stores deliver the groceries for a small fee.
The distribution center also offers non-perishable food and household items for sale on a website. Shoppers select the items and pay online. The items are delivered to the home address within a few days via a shipping company. Both methods are convenient for seniors who can no longer drive or who have a difficult time at the grocery store. It’s easy to see how beneficial such a service might be, not just for seniors, but for family caregivers and home care providers, too.
Online Grocery Shopping Benefits Seniors
Seniors will greatly benefit from online shopping, because they will have access to a variety of fresh food on a regular basis. Many elderly adults struggle to get groceries due to physical limitations that prevent them from walking, standing, driving and carrying heavy bags. Hiring a home care provider can relieve the senior of this responsibility, but it can still be time consuming for them as well. With online grocery shopping, seniors, family caregivers and home care providers can quickly and easily complete the task.
Online grocery shopping has numerous other benefits as well. Shoppers are less likely to overspend because the desire for impulse buys is curbed. It saves everyone a lot of stress as well, because grocery shopping during peak times can be crowded and frustrating. Online grocery shopping means that elderly adults, home care providers and family caregivers don’t even have to set foot in the store. The only downside is that shoppers are not able to hand-pick items, such as fresh produce. There are also some fees that may apply for online shopping services and delivery.
When elderly adults who live at home want convenient access to groceries, they can turn to online grocery shopping. Not only is it convenient and helpful for the, family caregivers and home care providers will love it too. Anyone that hasn’t yet tried online grocery shopping should just give it a try during Shop Online for Groceries month.
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care services in Leslie, MI, please contact the caring staff at Seniors Helping Seniors of Lansing. Call today: 517-332-9953.