A new player has entered the fast growing grocery delivery wars in the Cincinnati area.
It's the new Clifton Market co-op, and it promises quick and cheap delivery within the I-275 loop. The market is teaming up with Grocery Runners, one of the area's first grocery delivery services,
Clifton Market's Sarah Bosse says its aimed at both busy working families, and people who cant get to the store.
"We're basically taking a majority of products we sell and putting them out there for customers to access," she said. "If they are pregnant or disabled or they just have a lot of groceries that they can't walk home with."
Cost? A $10 delivery fee, with same day delivery guaranteed.
Growing field of delivery services
This is just the latest option for Cincinnati-area shoppers who want their groceries delivered the same day.
It comes just one month after Meijer launched its own program. Current delivery services include:
- Clifton Market/ Grocery Runners
- Dashing Delivery
- Caring Hands, a personal shopper service.
- Green Bean Delivery, for locally grown produce.
- Meijer(using the service Shipt)
- Grocery Runners independent service (using Kroger's Click List)
Meijer is the 500-pound gorilla of the bunch, but while delivery itself is free to members, membership is $99 a year, and each item has a 10% delivery surcharge added.
Kroger and Amazon are surveying the market, according to reports, and could offer delivery in the coming months.
Customers love it
Clifton Market customer Patricia Garry is looking forward to the market's delivery service. "Being able to call and place an order, it's going to be very helpful to a lot of people," she said.
As we found when we rode along a few months ago with Grocery Runners, customers love the service. "God bless you, thank you," a Norwood woman told the driver bringing her milk, bread, and other staples.
Which service is best?
The bottom line: With just a $10 delivery fee and no item surcharge, the Clifton Market could be the most affordable of the local delivery services, though its selection is much more limited than Meijer, with 5,000 items available.
Dashing Delivery and Caring Hands offer more personalized services, which some shoppers prefer. And for locally grown produce, Green Bean Delivery can't be beat.
So it really depends what you are looking for.
Don't mind driving? For a $5 fee, you can place your order and then pick it up at Clifton Market's rear loading dock.
For shoppers who cannot get out or are too busy to stop at the store, all these services are well worth the extra fee.
In that case, you don't waste your money.
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