Groceries to Your Door: Compare & Contrast–Convenience Worth the Cost?

Have you ever made the statement “I wish I didn’t have to go to the grocery store!  I wish my groceries could be delivered right to my door!”  According to the media, online grocery deliveries are expanding and on the rise.  This was a recent feature in our local Sunday paper and it caught my attention!  I thought it a great way to have students investigate, research and analyze how cost effective the convenience of these services actually are.  So, check out the activities below and if you have any suggestions, please share in the comment section below!

Set

  • Survey students by asking the following questions:
    • Do you like going to the grocery store to do your food shopping?  (most of the time, some of the time, rarely to never)
    •  Do you ever wish your groceries could be delivered right to your door?
    •  Do you like shopping online?
    • Would you do your food shopping online?  All of it or just certain items (dry goods vs. fresh produce)?  If you have purchased food online, share your experience.
    • Would you pay to have your groceries delivered to your door?  If so, what is your price point?
    • Statistically Speaking–Out of 100%:What percentage of American households now buy foods online? (23%)What percentage of American households are projected to buy food online in 10 years? (60%)
  • Discuss that the way we shop for groceries is changing.  To see how, view video #1 and video #2.  Discuss thoughts on this concept.

Materials

  • iPads or Laptops
  • Project & Screen

Activities

  • With anything, there are going to be pros and cons. Have students research the concept of Internet Grocery Shopping and the PROS/CONS associated with it.  Utilize and cite at least 3 different resources when completing this chart and the follow-up question. (See attachments)
  • Depending on where you live,there could be a lot of internet grocery shopping options available and students could actually compare several. However, my students are only exploring two options because of limited availability in our area.  Online stores include:
    • Amazon Fresh
    • InstaCart
    • Peapod by Giant
    • Farm Market Express
    • Doorstop Delivery
    • Schwan’s
    • Fresh Direct
    • Walmart
    • Weis Market
  • Assign students the Online Grocery Shopping Comparison to learn more about how the prices compare between the two venues.  This is a simple comparison, using only a few products, but if your school is located near an actual grocery store that may be within walking distance, this comparison could be extended and be done as a “field trip” to compare venues.
    • Choose one online shopping venue from the list and one grocery store and make a prediction as to which will offer the best prices/deals.
    • Now, select 5 foods, one from each food group, to compare prices.  Be sure you are comparing equal amounts.  
    • Fill out the form illustrating the cost of each food from each venue.  
    • Total the amount spent at each store in order to determine the venue with the best prices.
    • Write a conclusion comparing your initial prediction to the results of the comparison.  Was your prediction correct?  Explain why or why not and what you discovered about the deals/prices of the stores you selected.

Attachments

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