by Carmel Brulez

Created on: October 06, 2009   Last Updated: October 07, 2009

There is a good choice of shops that you can order from on the internet. Tesco, Ocado (Waitrose) and Asda and Sainsbury. They all have their good and bad points. Somerfield and Iceland deliver but you must go into the shop and buy and pay for the food first.

Online shopping is the perfect choice if you are busy, do not have a car, are old and frail or disabled, have to think about taking children with you or arranging for a baby sitter to look after them or are only able to deal with your orders during unsociable hours.

Asda are great for your basic shopping. Their own label produce is good quality but lacks choice. Many of their items are cheaper but Asda offers a lot less choice than Tesco or Sainsbury. They do not have much in the way of special offers. I find their website difficult to navigate and use. Perfect if your first priority is saving money and you only want to get basket basics this is the shop to choose.

Tesco offer a huge choice, with a Value range which is specially aimed for those on a tight budget and a Finest range where the quality of ingredients is top class but of course a lot more expensive, and a range for those who have to watch what they eat. their site is very easy to use and their prices are quite good, although Asda is often cheaper on many of the basics. There is also the option of telling them which replacement you want if the item is out of stock. Tesco always have a good range of food which is offered on a 2 for 1 basis, or half price or various special offers. So if you are selecting special offers you will get a huge range as well as save money. Perfect if your first priority is a huge choice.

Sainsbury offer a huge choice of quality foods and other goods and their name has been trusted for many years but they have less special offers than Tesco and their site is more difficult to navigate and use.

Ocado (Waitrose) have a lot less choice than Tesco but they do have a good selection of quality classy foods that Tesco and Asda do not sell. Mouthwatering and unusual breads, lobster fishcakes. They tend to cater for the more choosy and fussy of us who do not mind spending more on top quality food. Perfect if your first priority is a delicious meal. They lack special offers.

The most used online shopping site is Ocado, according to recent surveys. This surprised me as much of their food is quite expensive and they have less choice than Tesco and Sainsbury.

All of the services offer food, alcohol, magazines, cigarettes, cleaning products, and sometimes a good range of toiletries and dvds.

All of the services offer a very good choice of delivery dates and times. They are all reliable (unless the van breaks down). They all charge about the same amount for the delivery itself, though I do think they should drop the delivery charge when it is a big order.

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