First Try: AmazonFresh

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Yesterday (4/6/15) I got an email letting me know that AmazonFresh is now available in my area.

The timing was great, as I had forgotten to submit my usual order for ShopRite From Home and I was running out of the important basics. You know, stuff like bread, milk, toilet paper, and the like.

So, I quickly placed my first AmazonFresh order, selecting the option that doesn’t require me to be home for delivery. But, just to be on the safe side, I selected the earliest delivery window, 7am - 10am, so hopefully the delivery would arrive before I had to leave.

Sure enough, at 7:01am I heard a vehicle outside… my delivery arrived! I went about my usual morning routine, then when I finished I went to check out the delivery. Despite that fact the all the emails had stated they would leave the order someplace other than the location I specified, the delivery person put them exactly where I had requested when I placed the order. Step 1: Success!

I brought everything inside, and every item I ordered was there - no problems at all. And all of the cool/cold stuff was at the perfect temperature. Step two: Success!

Pro

  • If you place an order before 10AM, they’ll get it to you in time for dinner.
  • You don’t have to be home when they deliver. They package the items that need to stay cool in dry ice. (Of course, that’s only good for a a couple of hours, so you do need to make sure you’ll be home within the windows.) Or you can schedule delivery for when you are home.
  • You can order a wide variety of items, including produce, meats, veggies, and frozen items.
  • You can also get non-grocery items included with the delivery.
  • You can also get items from some local businesses.
  • Delivery was free because I’m a Prime member. You do include a tip.
  • Everything arrived fresh, in good condition, and the produce lasted the usual amount of time.
  • Most prices were the same, or very close, to what I usually pay.

Con

  • They didn’t have a lot of my usual brands, but I was able to find suitable replacements in most cases.
  • The items from local businesses are a bit pricey.
  • Your order is delivered in green bags that need to be returned to Amazon. If you are tight on space in your home, this may be a problem.
  • The cold items are packed in styrofoam, which needs to be returned to Amazon. (The do come apart, kinda like a puzzle, so they take up less space.)

To Wrap Up…

At this point, I don’t think AmazonFresh will replace ShopRite from Home for me, even with the $20 fee ShopRite charges. But it will come in handy from time to time; and if AmazonFresh starts to carry more of my favorite brands, maybe more than that.

I was able to put all the AmazonFresh delivery bags and containers into these 2 bags.