Thrifty Foods last week launched its online shopping program at its Tsawwassen location.
Launched in 2004 in select stores on Vancouver Island, the local store is one of the last to adopt the program, which allows customers to place an order online and then pick up or have their groceries delivered, sometimes later that same day.
The service is now available in all regions served by Thrifty Foods, except Saltspring Island, and is geared towards people with mobility issues or those with busy schedules.
It does require a minimum $50 order and additional fees are charged for delivery or pick up.
In-store shopping team captain Michelle Olson said the Tsawwassen store was lobbying for several years to be able to offer the program locally.
The system is designed to make online grocery shopping quick and easy. Customers can select items from easy-to-use lists, drop them into an online shopping cart and head to the virtual checkout.
The store receives the order and a staff member starts shopping, Olson said.
There are more than 10,000 items to choose from online - the stores most popular and frequently purchased items - but customers also have the option to make special requests for items that are not on the list but are carried in the store.
Olson added that there is plenty of space for customers to make specific requests on a list - for example, that they want five slightly green bananas or a ripe avocado.
Staff at the store will carefully select and package the items on the customers list, ensuring quality from the time it is picked up off a shelf until it reaches the customer.
Once all the items on the list have been picked up, the order is processed through the checkout where the cashier double checks to make sure the order has been filled properly.
"It's like a second set of eyes," Olson said.
For more information about the service, visit www.thriftyfoodsonline. com.
