This portion of our web guide focuses on online or physical grocery stores that allow customers to order groceries through their website or a mobile application.
Grocery stores are food service retail stores that offer fresh or packaged food products. In the United States, a "grocery store" is synonymous with "supermarket" and is not used to refer to other types of stores that sell groceries. In the United Kingdom, shops that sell food are referred to as "grocers" or "grocery shops," although in everyday use, people might use either the term "supermarket" or corner shop."
Larger stores, such as supermarkets and hypermarkets, usually stock many non-food products, such as clothing and household items. Small grocery stores that sell mainly fruit and vegetables are known as "greengrocers" in Britain or "produce markets" in the United States, while small grocery stores that mainly sell prepared food, such as candy and snacks, are known as "convenience stores" or "delicatessens."
The definitions vary. In the United States and Canada, the official definitions of "grocery store" exclude some businesses that sell groceries, such as convenience stores.
Until the early 20th century, most grocery stores operated over the counter, in which customers would ask the grocer to retrieve the items they were looking for from inventory. Early supermarkets began as chains of grocer's shops.
Grocery stores can be small or large physical stores or online stores.
An online grocer is a supermarket or grocery store that allows ordering through websites or mobile applications. Orders can be collected by the customer or delivered to the customer by drivers employed by the grocer, a food delivery service, or by delivery drones and robots.
Some brick-and-mortar grocery stores that include online ordering options ask customers who place orders online to pick up their orders at the store. This option is often less expensive than delivery and can be done at the time of the customer's choosing. Customers may also use it when they live outside the store's local delivery area.
Many local online grocers employ drivers. The grocery inventory will typically be stored in a warehouse and delivered to customers once orders are placed.
Online grocers with a large regional or national delivery area might use courier services for deliveries. When the order contains cold or frozen items, this might involve flash freezing the goods and packing them into special shipping containers.
Some companies, such as Amazon, have been experimenting with using drones or robots to deliver products. However, Amazon is not primarily a grocer. As it sells a huge variety of other products, it is more accurately defined as a general merchandise store.
Online grocery shopping grew substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic when many stores were closed, and restrictions made shopping at physical stores difficult. Today, although only about 2% of people in the United States use online shopping venues as their exclusive grocery provider, nearly 50% use online grocers to some extent.
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Cup4Cup was the first 1:1 gluten-free flour that eliminated complicated conversions and delivered on taste, texture, and performance. As the name suggests, Cup4Cup replaces traditional all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour in any recipe, cup-for-cup, and gram-for-gram. It also provides easy-to-use baking mixes and a library of sweet and savory recipes. Its flour blends and baking mixes are presented and made available for online shopping. Recipes, a store locator, and contacts are posted.
https://www.cup4cup.com/
Initially known as Edible Arrangements, Edible is a US-based franchising business specializing in fresh fruit arrangements. It combines the concept of a fruit basket with designs inspired by flower arrangements. The company also sells various specialty fruit gift items, including gift boxes with chocolate-dipped fruit and fresh fruit products and other products like fresh fruit cups, smoothies, and chocolate-dipped fruit cones. Its history, founder, mission, and franchise data are stated.
https://www.ediblearrangements.com/
Giant Food of Maryland is a regional supermarket chain with stores located in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. It may also be known as Giant-Landover, to avoid confusion with The Giant Company, a Pennslvania-based sister chain also owned by Ahold Delhaize. Its locations can be found through the company's website, which also features the store's brands, coupon policies, product recalls, affiliate programs, suppliers, and career opportunities.
https://giantfood.com/
Created and founded by Chef Paul Prudhomme, who would personally taste and test every ingredient before it was added to the company's blends, Magic Seasoning Blends products are made with premium-quality herbs and spices, Kosher, Halal, MSG-free, preservative-free, and GMO-free. An introduction to the company's founder is presented, along with a history and profile of the company, and new flavors and recipe tips are available by subscription. Its products may be purchased online.
https://www.magicseasoningblends.com/
With roots in the Neward Nut Company, founded in 1929, the company launched as NutsOnline in 1999, taking its current name in 2012. The company buys directly from growers and can accommodate orders from one pound to a thousand pounds, including wholesale. Orders can be made online, over the phone, by fax, or by email. Nuts are roasted, and corn is popped on the day that the orders are shipped. Its products include nuts, seeds, chocolates, snacks, dried fruit, coffee, tea, and superfood powders.
https://nuts.com/
Founded in 1989 by a father-son team, Pepper Joe's is a well-known source of hot pepper seeds and related products. Based in South Carolina, Pepper Joe's pepper seed varieties span the full range of the Scoville heat scale. Pepper Joe's offers more than 300 varieties of non-GMO pepper seeds, live plants, fresh pods, hot sauce, spices, and other products, including gifts and supplies, which are featured here. Customer testimonials, wholesale pricing, and payment options are included.
https://pepperjoe.com/
Plum Organics is a leading organic food brand that aims to provide babies with the best food from the first bite. The company offers a range of organic products for babies, tots, and young children, including pouches, snacks, and bars. Its products are non-GMO, USDA-certified organic, and some are certified kosher through the Orthodox Union. Its ingredients, product availability, samples, and coupons, as well as basic information about feeding babies, are offered.
https://plumorganics.com/
Price Chopper Supermarkets is an American supermarket chain owned by Northeast Grocery. Headquartered in Schenectady, New York, the chain opened its first supermarkets in 1932 and changed its name from Central Market to Price Chopper in 1973. Currently, it operates stores under the Price Chopper, Market Bistro, and Market 32 banners. Its locations, a weekly flyer, a rewards program, and discounts are set forth, along with a catalog and online shopping capabilities.
https://www.pricechopper.com/
Previously a division of Walton Feed, Rainy Day Foods is known for its dehydrated and freeze-dried food storage, including edible grains, dehydrated imitation meats, vegetables, fruits, and freeze-dried products, along with items for storing these products and other emergency supplies. The privately owned corporation has its principal office and store in Montpelier, Idaho. A price list may be downloaded from the site, which includes a product catalog and blog.
https://rainydayfoods.com/
In 2005, Redwood Hill Farm became the first Certified Humane goat dairy in the United States. Jennifer Bice, the founder, still lives at the farm, a few steps from the milking parlor. In addition to its milking goats, the farm includes an olive orchard, hop yard, fruit orchards, beehives, chicken laying flock, and vegetable gardens. Farm tours are available. Orders may be placed from the site through an online order form, with payments from PayPal. Contacts are also available.
https://redwoodhill.com/
The J.M. Smucker Company is an American manufacturer of food and beverage products. The company was founded in 1897 as a maker of apple butter and currently has business units for consumer goods, pet foods, and coffee. Its flagship brand, Smucker's, produces fruit preserves, peanut butter, syrups, frozen crustless sandwiches, and ice cream toppings, and the company owns several other well-known brands. Its products, recipes, and informational articles are included.
https://www.smuckers.com/
Spice Place is an online shopping place for spices and some other products, including garlic, onion, herbs, pepper, seasoning collections, spices, spice blends, spice racks, salt-free seasoning blends, candy, snacks, flavoring syrups, bouillon and gravies, hot sauce, nuts, dried fruit, baking supplies, condiments, dry vegetables, food coloring, party supplies, barbecue and grill seasonings, utensils, and kitchenware. Shipping costs may be determined through a US zip code.
http://www.spiceplace.com/
Colony Brands (Swiss Colony) is a mail-order and electronic retail company known for its cheese, sausage, chocolate, fruitcakes, and other food products. It also carries furniture, home decor, apparel, entertainment products, and electronics. Founded in 1926 in Monroe, Wisconsin, where it is still headquartered, the company has other facilities in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. The website features a product catalog, which includes sale items and corporate gift items.
https://www.swisscolony.com/
Tastefully Simple is a U.S. multi-level marketing (MLM) company that sells meal kits, signature seasonings, sauces, and baking mixes, all prepared by adding two additional ingredients or less. Their TS EatWell products, which constitute 85% of the product line, are clean-label foods that contain no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. They are sold online and through a network of home-based commissioned distributors. Its program is defined on the site, and contacts are posted.
https://www.tastefullysimple.com/
Tesco is a British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer based in Welwyn Garden City, England. Founded in 1919, it was the third-largest retailer in the world in 2011. It has shops in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia. A store locator is included on the website, which lists store vacancies, career opportunities, product recalls, its Tesco Clubcard program, recipes, and an online shopping area. Tesco banking services are highlighted.
https://www.tesco.com/
Wegmans Food Markets is a privately held US supermarket chain based in Gates, New York. Founded in 1916, the company was known as the Rochester Fruit and Vegetable Company until 1930 and now has more than a hundred stores in eight states. Store locations can be found on the website, which includes an online shopping catalog. Its values, grocery delivery and pickup policies, suppliers, events, and catering services are discussed, along with its Wegmans Insiders rewards program.
https://www.wegmans.com/
Family-operated since its founding in 1982, The Wine Stop offers the finest wines from all over the world. Its online store allows consumers to review wines and shop for the producer that interests them most. Reviews from various critiques assist customers in making a selection. Besides its interactive online store, The Wine Stop also features a quarterly newsletter. Its wines, spirits, accessories, and clearance wines are featured, along with an informational blog.
https://www.thewinestop.com/
