For online grocery shopping, all you need is a computer or a smartphone with an internet connection. You could be an active online grocery shopper or someone who is just beginning, but here are a few great tips about how to make online grocery shopping even more useful and enjoyable.

SEE ALSO: 5 Online Grocery Shopping Sites in Malaysia You Should Know

Save money and time when shopping online for groceries in Malaysia

Physical grocery stores have a whole bag of tricks that will lead you to spend a lot more money without you even realizing it. Supermarkets and grocery stores often place products strategically and use many marketing tactics to tempt you to purchase more than you intended.

One strategy they use at physical grocery stores is placing expensive items in front of the cheaper variations. As a result, the cheaper products become harder to find and many people end up buying the expensive versions. Another strategy they use is strategically placing products to encourage unnecessary purchases, such as endcaps.  An endcap is a display for a product placed at the end of the aisle, which typically leads to more purchases.

Shopping for groceries online in Malaysia means that you can avoid these in-store marketing strategies (There will be promotional tactics online too, but the price is typically clearer, so you’ll be less likely make impulse purchases.). You also do not have to walk around various aisles filled with products, which takes more time and can again lead to unnecessary purchases.

Online grocery shopping is even more efficient if you prepare a shopping list in advance. Then all you have to do is search for the items using the website’s search bar, add it to the shopping cart and buy your groceries.

This whole process of buying groceries online can be done in just a few minutes, and you should be able to stay within your budget better than when you shop at a physical grocery store.

Consider buying these items in the beginning

While shopping online for groceries in Malaysia is quick and convenient that does not mean you should buy all kinds of products from online stores. This is especially true when you are just starting out with online shopping for groceries. You need to build a relationship with your delivery service or online store and have enough trust in them to order everything that you may otherwise need.

In the beginning, just purchase non-perishable items, which you know will not spoil during the transportation and delivery process. Canned beverages, canned goods, cleaning products, soaps,  personal hygiene products, frozen food, etc. are some of the safe bets you can make when just starting out.  You could also buy pet food and pet products and daily products like cheeses that last for a while. Also, order your favorite branded products to see if the store stocks them, such as soap, cleaning solution or personal hygiene.

Buying these items in the beginning can help you understand how good the online grocery store is. By testing various online grocery delivery services in Malaysia this way, you can figure out which one is the most trustworthy and suits you best.

Avoid buying these items in the beginning

In the beginning, it’s best to avoid buying items like meat, eggs, seafood, poultry, fresh milk, green leafy vegetables, gourmet cheeses, etc.  Such perishable items may spoil or bruise during delivery. Even though the groceries are usually delivered in temperature controlled trucks and vans, it may be best to avoid that risk until you trust the service.

We’re not saying to never buy these products from online grocery stores. However, in the beginning it may be best to buy these items at a physical store. Once you have established trust or familiarity with a particular online grocery delivery service, then go for it.

Final thoughts

Getting started with an online grocery shopping service in Malaysia is easy.  You can browse through the items under various categories or use the search bar to see what products a particular delivery service offers. Once you’re ready, you just have to open an account with the website and then start shopping. Once the items you need have been added to your shopping cart, you can checkout, set your shipping address, and pay using a credit card or a debit card. Sometimes you can even make the payment when your groceries are delivered at your place.

When making payments online, it goes without saying that you need to be careful and keep aware of credit card frauds and skimming techniques.

SEE ALSO:

• 5 Online Grocery Shopping Sites in Malaysia You Should Know
• Online Food Delivery Services in Malaysia
• Top Online Shopping Sites in Malaysia

Photo credit: porschelinn / Foter / CC BY