Incorporating from the lessons of the infamous Webvan implosion in 2001, Safeway offers a terrific online grocery ordering and delivery service through its Safeway.com website. The Around Dublin Team tried out its service using the special “QUICK” promotional code, which included free delivery and took $15 off an order of $50 or more. Although the “QUICK” promotional code expired at the end of 2010, Safeway.com still offers scores of online-only discounts and freebies in addition to the standard Safeway club card deals.

The Safeway.com delivery service provides the ultimate in convenience with features such as “Shop by History,” so customers may easily review their recent orders. Customers also have the option to edit their shopping history.  This feature could come in handy, if you made a purchase that you want to hide from your significant other or your other significant other. The “Express List” feature provides a deceptively simple notepad that can easily turn a list of household staples such as milk, butter, and eggs online into a personal shopper with the click of a button, as pages and pages of options are served up for the customers to their shopping carts.

Chances are good that some of the items selected online will not be available from the local Safeway store that fulfills the order. In these instances, Safeway will either substitute the item with a similar product or simply exclude the out-of-stock item from the order. The Around Dublin Team, for example, ordered Cinnamon Altoids and Airwick “Crackling Fire and Warming Spice” oil refills. The Safeway in the Waterford Plaza on Tassajara Road fulfilled the order. Instead of the Cinnamon Altoids, Safeway brought the Peppermint Altoids and did not substitute the out-of-stock Airwick refills.

Because of the potential for substitutions and weight variations on produce and meat orders, the initial online order only provides an estimate of the total cost. The actual cost will not be determined until the order has been delivered and accepted. What if the Safeway delivery associate brings trouser socks when pantyhose was ordered? Customers may choose to berate the poor delivery associate for five minutes or simply call the customer service contact on the order details packet provided by the driver to arrange for the returns. The Around Dublin Team recommends the latter option.

The cost of Safeway’s delivery service is very reasonable. It can range from $6.95 to $14.95, depending on the amount purchased and time of delivery. The time of delivery may be specified in two-hour windows when the order is submitted online, and a $50 purchase minimum is required. The Around Dublin Team was very pleased with Safeway.com’s service. The delivery associates arrived on time and were very friendly. Safeway.com’s delivery associates do not accept monetary tips, but stock picking tips are always welcome.