Let Loblaws be your holiday helper. Just Click and Collect your groceries.

Hands up if your love grocery shopping.  Now, hands up if you love grocery shopping with your kids.  Not so much, AMIRIGHT?!?!

A couple of months ago I posted on my Facebook page the following comment that received several “likes” and comments. It was probably due to the fact that people could truly relate.  Here’s what I wrote:

Yes! I have a free night out.

Also known as grocery shopping by myself.

And I’m going fancy. Loblaws Superstore. No Frills can wait for when I have the kids with me.

However, grocery shopping on my own doesn’t happen frequently.  While I do believe that there are benefits to taking my kids grocery shopping with me, such as teaching them about healthy choices, math and finances, kids are still kids.  My boys don’t want to sit in the cart, then they do want to sit in the cart, then fight over which part of the cart they want to sit in, complain they are tired, bored and on and on. By the time we hit the checkout I’m defeated and forgot to get half of my shopping list.  What used to be an enjoyable outing has turned into a stressful event.  With winter here now, there is another added element that makes grocery shopping with (or without) kids even worse.

So… what’s a parent to do? You obviously need to feed your family while also considering nutrition, variety and affordability.  Luckily, Loblaws has come up with an amazing family-friendly solution aptly named “Click and Collect”. You can literally grocery shop in the comfort of you home.  It’s so easy to use, here’s how it works:

1.       Go online to shop.loblaws.ca and select your nearest Loblaw store

2.       Choose a pickup date and time that is convenient for you

3.       Shop online for everything you need

• You can browse by food type, home-related items, flyer and deals, or use the search bar

4.       Pick up your order at your local store and finalize payment

I know what you’re thinking… why didn’t they think of this sooner.  Luckily, they did and Click and Collect is operating out of three Loblaws locations in the GTA. The additional charge for the service is minimal and ranges from $3 – $5 depending on the day you select to pickup. You can also link up your PC Plus card to receive points for your purchase.  The service is really valuable to busy parents and even more so around the busy holiday time. I tried out Click and Connect this weekend and I spent no more than five minutes at my local Loblaws, sitting in my car with my newborn while my groceries were brought out and loaded in my van. It was truly amazing!

Some of my favourite features about the site include the quick shop option which acts like a personalized store and provides recommendations and deals based on previous orders. After I placed and finalized my order, I was still able to make changes to my order (which I did) and I was able to specify if I wanted to allow substitutions or not. This way, if the selected product is not in stock, the personal shopper will pick out a substitute item.  This happened with my order. I wanted to buy Egg Nog (obviously) but they only had Egg Nog Lite which they substituted in my order. They told me this when I arrived for my pickup but gave me another alternative which was to buy the regular Egg Nog but in a 2L carton.  I loved how I was informed of all of my options and how easy it was for them to quickly complete my request and make the changes necessary. After trying this service out, I don’t really think I can grocery shop any other way now. I’m completely sold.

If you could use a little elf (aka help) this holiday season, make sure to check out this new service by Loblaws. You won’t regret it. Think of it as my Holiday gift to you!