For anyone practicing social distancing in their homes, having groceries and supplies delivered is a great way to ensure you are flattening the curve. Going out of your house could mean putting yourself and others at risk. The best thing you can do is stay home and shop online. Let’s take a look at some big-name retailers keeping things moving online.
Also read: 6 Online Shopping Tips All Shopaholics Should Know
Amazon Keeps It Moving … Slowly
Online ordering at Amazon continues to remain strong. The company announced in mid-March that it would hire 100,000 new personnel to help serve its customers. However, Amazon is prioritizing shipments on medical supplies and other household necessities. Amazon’s beloved Prime service and its two-day delivery promise have slipped to often a week or more.
Target, Walmart Step Up
Online grocers like Kroger, Aldi, Walmart and Target are all offering delivery as fast as possible. Supermarket giants like Kroger are offering a multitude of services with online ordering. You can choose same-day delivery for $9.95 or curbside pickup when your order is ready. Alternatively, you can ship items to your home, but you will likely experience longer wait times than the typical one-to-three day wait period.
Through online delivery service Shipt, Target customers can shop online and receive grocery items and household essentials the same day. Shipt does note that high demand is impacting delivery timeframes with same-day delivery increasingly unlikely. Target also offers in-store pickup on all orders, though fulfillment time varies from location to location.
As the largest big-box retailer in the world, it’s not surprising that Walmart offers both in-store pickup and delivery. Online grocery ordering is backed up across the country with delays running around one to two weeks. Items that are not considered household essentials are still available for in-store pickup and delivery.
Also read: 10 Best Browser Extensions for Online Shopping to Help You Save Money
Electronics Keep You Busy
Retailers like Best Buy and GameStop are focused on keeping you entertained, especially as video games have spiked in use. Retailers like Best Buy are offering both curbside pickup as well as delivery. You can order online and pick up outside throughout the day with orders generally fulfilled within one to two hours. Gamestop is also riding the video game wave with both online deliveries as well as curbside delivery.
Pets, Furniture, Clothing and More
For our furry friends, Chewy.com, one of the largest online sites for pet supplies, is staying strong. Online ordering remains free for orders over $49, though its usual one-to-two-day shipping timeframe has slipped to be “considerably longer than usual.” PetsMart is offering curbside pickup for all online orders as well as notifying customers that all deliveries may be delayed.
If you want to get outdoors and play, Dicks Sporting Goods remains open for business online. Shipping is free on all orders over $49, and if the item is in store, contactless curbside pickup is also available. REI, a popular outdoor retailer is offering free shipping on all U.S. orders. Its site indicates that all delivery dates are estimates and not guaranteed.
If you want to redo your entire wardrobe while on lockdown, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Zappos, and all Gap brands are available online. Nordstrom is among the retailers offering curbside pickup where available. Online ordering is available with free shipping and longer-than-usual order times. Macy’s has stopped same-day delivery but also ended its minimum amount for all online orders. Delivery timeframes have slipped well beyond its typical three-to-six-day promise. Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy are all providing free shipping online for orders over $25 and have not indicated any delays to shipping timeframes. Amazon-owned Zappos.com is noting shipping teams are working 24/7 to fulfill customer orders with delivery times delayed.
Smaller Retailers
Smaller retailers are not slowing down. Thrive Market, a healthy product retailer, is focused on shipping all orders within two weeks. That’s significantly longer than its traditional shipping time frames. Even smaller online retailers like independent aMuse Toys in Maryland have shifted their entire business online. Online Costco competitor, Boxed.com, is offering free shipping on all orders over $79. They are not indicating any specific delivery delays, though they note a surge in orders could lead to shipping delays.
As most of the United States remains indoors, the country heads online to entertain, eat, clean and dress. For now, businesses large and small are doing everything they can to keep the lights on and drive sales. There is still no telling how long it will be before it will be business-as-usual. For now, there are ways to get all of your essential and non-essential items online. For that, we are all super grateful.
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David Joz
David is a freelance tech writer with over 15 years of experience in the tech industry. He loves all things Nintendo.
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