Rowland's Independent staff member Peggy MacDougall stands with the new cooler and freezer units that will store customer’s PC Express goods until they arrive for pick up.

Hub Staff

Beginning next week shoppers will be able to order their groceries online from Rowland's Your Independent Grocer. The Port Elgin store is launching the new PC Express shopping service, available seven days a week, on Tuesday, May 15.

Store owner, Scott Rowland said that customers can simply go to yourindependentgrocer.ca, select the Port Elgin store and start shopping for their groceries. “There's about 20,000 items to select from including fresh,” said Rowland adding that items such as beer, wine, tobacco and lottery are not included due to age restrictions. “The flyer will also be online so you can shop from the flyer too,” he said.

Customers can not only request a certain quantity but they can also indicate other specifics such as ripeness. “You can say you want a bunch of bananas and you can write in the comment field, ‘I want them on the green side or I want them on the ripe side,’” Rowland explained, adding that weight can also be specified. “[If you want] a sirloin tip roast,’ it’ll say the average is 600 grams, if you want more, put in the comments you want a 4 pound roast,” he said.

There is a minimum order of $30 but no maximum, said Rowland, and there is also a picking fee which will vary depending on the day and time the pick up occurs. From Monday to Friday until 5 p.m., the picking fee is $3, and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays as well as all weekend, the picking fee is $5.

Rowland said customers can pay online with a credit card or pay when they arrive. “There'll be four reserved parking spots in the parking lot, [customers will park] and then call into the store,” he said explaining that staff will then take the goods out to the customer’s vehicle and load the contents for them.

“We have a mobile device that we can take out to the parking lot,” said Rowland explaining that as well as taking payment, the device allows customers to swipe their PC Optimum cards to collect points.

He said the only reason for a customer coming into the store after using the online shopping service would be to pay cash or if the store has had to substitute something that they didn’t want.

“It's pretty simple,” said Rowland. “Theres 200 [Loblaw’s] stores on it now. There'll be 700 by the end of the year.

A new storage area at the front of the store has been installed for online shoppers’ dry, cold, and frozen goods.

New reserved parking signs are ready to be moved outside next week for online shoppers.

The online shopping process explains that customers can enjoy the same prices and deals as they do in-store.