Curbside Direct

By Kirby Adams

While I recognize there are some who enjoy a leisurely stroll through the grocery store aisle, there are others of us who find it a troublesome interruption to an otherwise over-scheduled day.  There is now a solution that not only will save you a tremendous amount of time, but also will save you money, especially if you take small kids to the store with you (I know this from personal experience) or admit you are an impulse shopper (I know this from personal experience as well). 

How does this sound? Order your groceries online, then drive to the store, pull up at a fast food-like speaker system, tell them you are here for your groceries and an employee brings them out and loads them into your car.  Now I realize you still have to deal with the hassle of unloading the groceries and putting them away in the kitchen, but the rest of it is downright dreamy.  And here's the best part: this is not a dream, it's real!  Valumarket has partnered with www.mywebgrocer.com and launched Louisville 's first online local grocery shopping service called Curbside Direct.

The test market was for customers of Valumarket's Whittington Parkway store.  For several months they have been able to go online to Valumarket's website, click on the "shop online" link and select from a full line of groceries, health and beauty items and household products.  I decided to try the service.  It takes a while to go through the lists of products, but once you make a master list you can save it and never have to mess with it again.  Or, you can go in and add or subtract products for that particular shopping trip. Say you have a favorite recipe, you can flag all the items you need for that, and on the week you decide to make that dish, activate those items and you are set.

The customers I talked with say the convenience is incredible, plus they end up spending less money each week at the grocery because they are not impulse buying.  If you really get into the rhythm of online shopping for your groceries you can specify the pickup date and time. The usual payment methods are available, including personal check, credit card and cash.

The charge for this service is $4.95, and first-time customers get to try the process for free.

I wondered about the produce that I ordered.  Would it be fresh and who would be choosing my items?  James Newman, owner of Valumarket, took me along as the store's online shopper picked out my order.  I think she did a better job than I would have done, carefully selecting the apples, green beans and grapes.  I was impressed.

The Whittington Parkway store has been so successful with the online grocery service that Newman has expanded the service into his other two stores as well.  So now you can shop online at the stores on the Outer Loop and in Iroquois Manor.  Those who have tried swear they'll never go back.  And they literally may not need to step foot in a grocery store aisle again.

For more information go to www.valumarket.com

The three store locations include:

• 315 Whittington Parkway 423-7110
• 7519 Outer Loop 239-7375
• 5301 Mitschner Avenue  361-9285

Kirby Adams is the consumer reporter for Kentuckiana's News Channel WHAS-11 and a sports and fitness buff. You can e-mail Kirby at kirby.adams@whas11.com. Kirby is also a member of Kentuckiana HealthFitness' Editorial Advisory Board.

If you know of a little "GEM" or a story, you would like to share with our readers, drop me a note about it.

Kirby Adams
C/o WHAS-11 TV
P.O. Box 2588
Louisville , KY 40201