Online delivery services are becoming more and more common. Besides online supermarkets such as RedMart, usual brick-and-mortar supermarkets such as NTUC and Sheng Siong are also offering their own online grocery services. Granted, some people derive joy from that one hour in the supermarket doing grocery shopping. However, many consumers also use online grocers for some of their regular grocery shopping.
Perks Of Doing Your Grocery Shopping Online
#1 No need to lug heavy grocery bags from the supermarket to your home.
#2 No need to wait in line to make payment.
#3 You get to see your total bill as you shop.
#4 Find all the products you need without having to walk the entire supermarket.
Downsides Of Doing Your Grocery Shopping Online
1) Don’t get to see, touch or feel the actual product.
2) Minimum basket size needed in order to enjoy free delivery.
However, if you know which brand you want to buy and if the product is the same across all supermarkets, it could be a lot more convenient to purchase these products online, especially if they are selling at the same price as actual supermarkets.
Read Also: 7 Online Shopping Hacks That All Singaporeans Should Use To Save Money
Our Selected Basket Of Goods
In our selected basket of goods, we did not select any meat, fruit or vegetables as these items are more likely to differ in terms of brands, weight and size. People also like to choose for themselves when it comes to these items, choosing the ones that look the freshest and of better quality.
Do note that to use Amazon’s service, you must be a paying Amazon Prime Now member.
| Item | RedMart | Honestbee | Amazon Prime Now | Fairprice Online |
| Bread Gardenia Finegrain Wholemeal Bread 420g |
$2.50 | $2.50 | $2.50 | $2.50 |
| Milk Farmhouse Fresh Milk 1L |
$3.30 | $3.30 | $3.06 | $3.30 |
| Eggs Seng Choon Farm Fresh Eggs 10x60g |
$2.85 | $3.40 Only has N & N Premium Quality Singapore Fresh Eggs |
$2.85 | $2.75 |
| Cooking Oil Knife 100% Pure Rice Bran Oil (2L) |
$7.98 | $9.50 | $7.95 | $8.50 |
| Toilet Paper PurSoft Unscented 3-Ply Toilet Tissue Roll (10 rolls) |
$6.95 | $5.80 | $5.75 | $5.75 |
| Detergent Dynamo Power Gel Detergent (3KG) |
$6.95 | $9.70 | $6.95 | $8.95 |
| Rice SongHe Thai Hom Mali Rice (10kg) |
$29.85 | $32.80 | $29.52 | $31.50 |
| Milo Milo Activ-Go Gao Siew Dai (15 Sachets x 33g + 3 Sachets x 33g free) |
$6.50 | $6.50 | $6.50 | $6.50 |
| Dishwashing Liquid Mama Royal Delicate Dishwashing Liquid (500ml) |
$3.05 | $3.05 | $2.65 | $3.05 |
| Subtotal | $69.93 | $76.55 | $67.73 | $72.80 |
| Delivery Fees | $3.99 for orders between $40 to $100; $5.99 for orders below $40; Free delivery for orders above $100 |
$1.00 Concierge Fee; $4.99 for orders below $40; Free delivery with purchase $40 above |
$5.99 for orders below $40; Free delivery for orders above $40 |
$7 for orders below $39; Free delivery for orders above $39 |
| Total Price | $73.89 | $77.55 | $67.73 | $72.80 |
Read Also: 5 Financial Traps Of Online Shopping: How You’re Being Made To Spend More And How You Can Avoid It
Based on the total price to pay for the selected basket of goods, Amazon Prime Now is the cheapest with RedMart and NTUC Online coming close. Obviously, depending on what you buy, the most value for money online grocer will differ. Do share with us more about your experience on the Personal Finance Discussion SG Facebook Group.
For first-time online grocery shoppers, you should make the most of the promotions and membership programmes as well.
RedMart: RedMart has a LiveUp programme currently at $28.80 a year. LiveUp members enjoy free delivery on orders above $40 as well as a 5% rebate on every delivered order and access to member-only promotions.
Honestbee: Honestbee has a BeeHive programme that costs $28.90 a year. Members of the BeeHive get exclusive discounts on groceries, saving up to 15% more. For example, for that same basket of goods above, a BeeHive member would pay $75.75 instead, saving $5.45.
Amazon Prime Now: Orders have to be made on the Amazon Prime Now app, because there’s no web version currently available. You also have to be an Amazon Prime member. Perks of being a member is that you enjoy free 2-hour delivery for orders over $40. This membership costs $2.99 a month (adding up to $35.88 a year).
Read Also: How Much Does Organic Food Cost? We Compare Across Different Online Supermarkets
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