I’m a regular user of Superstore’s PC Express service, but I also use Save-On-Foods delivery occasionally to help us get through a busy week. Here’s how it (usually) works.
Pros: Two thumbs up for convenience. Placing, scheduling, and receiving your order is usually painless. Produce quality is typically fine.
Cons: Despite the name, you’ll pay more than at Superstore, between the delivery charge and the actual food cost. See below for details. If you opt for delivery, and they’re out of something on your order, you can’t pop into the store or request an alternative.
How it works
Once you set up your account, you can select a day and time, as shown below.
You can change your order until (I think) the day before your delivery time, although they don’t make the deadline clear, and it’s clunky. (Go into My Account – Manage Online Orders.)
Substitutions
Click the box to allow the shopper to make substitutions. They may not choose what you’d choose, but they’ll do their best.
No nutrition info
One of the things I like about Superstore’s service is that you can access the ingredient list and nutrition facts for the products. Not so with Save-On. You’re on your own.
Bags, bags, bags!
Both PC Express and Save-On-Foods go overboard with the plastic bags. There seems to be this need to keep produce ultra-protected. And they put the rest of your food in a. lot. of. bags. Wow.
My second order. “No bags” explicitly stated.
The good news is you can make special requests for your shopper, including not to use bags.
Will you “Save-On” your food bill?
It doesn’t appear so. 
While pickup is free, delivery will cost you from $5 to $10, depending on the time of day.
And despite their name and guarantee, I’ve found that the food itself costs more than at Superstore. As I explained in my previous review of Save-On-Foods, the guarantee is for the lowest price on the 850 most commonly purchased items. Sounds good, but they can easily make that up on other products in your cart.
When I tested this in 2017, Save-On-Foods was 9% more expensive than Superstore. That might not be a big deal if you prefer the delivery or the more civilized shopping experience at Save-On-Foods, but the misleading marketing ticks me off, so I have to point it out. Feel free to check out my number crunching if you’re interested (spreadsheet geek alert). First shop:
Second shop: The difference this time was 11%. About 2/3 of the products cost less at Superstore. If I had shopped there, I’d have spent $167 instead of $186. (In theory, this price comparison should favour Save-On, because I bought a few extras of things they had on sale.)
Is this service for you?
I know a lot of people prefer to see, smell, and touch food before buying, which is understandable. But right now, not having to go to the store means fewer crowds, and that’s good for everyone.
My preference is ordering and picking up from Superstore, but delivery from Save-On-Foods delivery could be a win if you’re a working parent, have limited mobility, or are self-isolating. It also helps you avoid impulse buys, which grocery stores are finely engineered to trigger, and it will force you to do a bit of meal planning.
But expect to pay about 10% more than Superstore, in addition to the delivery charge.
Have you tried it? I’d love to know what you think.
Note: As always, I have no affiliation with any of the companies mentioned above. This is not a sponsored post in any way. Just my opinion!
