Meal delivery and supermarket apps

 

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Meal delivery and supermarket apps

a range of food and grocery delivery apps

What's coming up?

In this activity you'll learn about apps that let you order groceries from your local supermarket. These apps allow you to have the items delivered or made ready for pickup using a direct to boot service.

You'll also find out about apps that let you order meals from participating restaurants, and how they can be much faster than ordering take-away or traditional delivery.

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The advantage of supermarket apps

When you use your supermarket's ordering app, you can skip the aisles and the checkout. You can choose to have food delivered to your door or made ready for pickup via Direct to boot or Click&Collect service.

a delivery truck, a car and a shopping trolley
the woolworths app icon

How a supermarket app works

For this demonstration, we'll talk about the Woolworths app, but apps from Coles and other supermarkets work in a similar way.

After you install the app, you can register your address and choose a delivery window (where you can specify a date and time). Then you can use the app to browse the supermarket's stock and tap each item you want to add it to your cart.

You can also shop via a savings catalogue

Weekly catalogue savings are uploaded to the app by the supermarket, and you can browse and shop directly from the catalogue so that everything you buy is on special.

The app will also tell you how much you are saving by choosing catalogue items. This is a handy feature as it saves you having the walk to aisles looking for specials.

using the specials section of the app to shop for items
delivery trucks with different delivery options over them

Delivery fees when using an app

Delivery has a base fee of $5-15, but this fee is reduced depending on the size of your cart. For most supermarkets, if your cart costs more than $250, delivery is free. You can check this in your supermarket app.

Delivery times when you order via an app

You can choose a delivery window when you begin your shop, although the earliest delivery time is usually the next morning. Delivery slots are limited, so if you leave your shop until late in the day, your preferred delivery time might not be available.

If you need items urgently, you can get groceries delivered in the next two hours if you pay a premium delivery fee. You'll also need to order before 4pm.

a delivery truck with different delivery options
receigina pick up notification of a phone

You can also order for pick up

If you don't want to wait for delivery and can drive to the supermarket, you can use a pick-up service. You place your order with the app, and the supermarket packs your items. You choose a pick-up time, and the supermarket will send you a text message when your items are ready.

If you don't want to drive, you can arrange pick up at the service desk, although you will need to get a trolley and go and pick them up yourself.

Using meal delivery apps 

If you feel like takeaway for dinner, lunch, or even breakfast, you can use a meal delivery app such as DoorDash or Uber Eats.

You can choose a favourite restaurant, order a meal, and have it delivered to your door as soon as possible. Or you can nominate a delivery time, too.

the doordash and uber eats icons
delivery vehicle with additional costs listed

What meal delivery apps cost

When you order from a meal delivery app, the app adds a service fee, usually 1.5%, and charges a delivery fee based on how far away the restaurant is.

This fee is usually around $3-8. You pay for the meal through the app by entering your credit card or PayPal details.

Other features of a meal delivery app

When you place an order, the app will show a screen letting you know the status of the order, when it is ready for pickup, and when it has been picked up. The app may also show a map so you can track the progress of your delivery and be ready for when it gets to your door.

tracking a delivery on a map within the app
viewing notifications on a smartphone

What happens when your meal is delivered

Depending on the meal delivery app you use, your delivery person might knock on the door and hand you your meal, or they might leave it outside the door.

Some apps offer a no-contact service, and sometimes the delivery person won't knock. However, the app will send you a notification on your phone letting you know your meal has been delivered and is ready at your front door.

Meal delivery apps make recommendations

After you've used a meal delivery app a few times, it will start to recommend similar restaurants you might like in your area. You can also browse via the type of food, or just see all the restaurants nearby.

Each restaurant uploads photos of its meals, so a meal delivery app can be a great way to find new things to try or discover restaurants you didn't realise were nearby.

viewing ordering options in the app
a delivery truck, a car and a shopping trolley

Well done!

This is the end of the Meal delivery and supermarket apps activity. You've learned about apps that let you order meals from restaurants and groceries from your local supermarket.

If you're a registered user, you can now complete a short quiz to test your learning. If you're not registered, this is now the end of the myGov, Medicare and finance apps activity.