Groceries At Your Doorstep

Long lines, crying children and finding time to get to the store can make grocery shopping a hassle.

Now you have an option to skip all of that and get your groceries delivered to your door.

Stop & Shop launched its national Peapod service in more than 14 Southern New Hampshire communities lastm month, allowing residents to order groceries online and have them shipped to their door.

Towns in and around Nashua, including Merrimack, Amherst, Bedford, Windham and Salem, can now use this new service.

Delivery prices, according to Peapod's website are $6.95 for orders over $100 and $9.95 for deliveries between $60 and $100. There is a minimum order requirement of $60. There is also a small fuel surcharge based on the cost of gas each week that is dropped when gas prices dip below $2.75.

Tipping is optional and coupons are accepted. 

According to Peg Merzbacher, a spokesperson for Peapod, the specific communities chosen in New Hampshire were based on the most public interest.

"We track the ZIP codes that visitors enter on our site and regularly look at those zip codes that get the most inquiries, Merzbacher said. "The New Hampshire ZIPs we just opened up for delivery are ZIPs that were frequently entered.

After you enter your ZIP code on the Peapod website, you are automatically taken to the grocery area. There you can browse products from different categories to add to your cart. There is a calandar page right on the site where you can set a delivery time window for when you would like your purchases to be delivered.

According to Merzbacher, it's not meant to be an alternative service to an actual grocery store, but rather a more advantageous service.

"The goal is to provide a convenient service for people who may have trouble getting to the supermarket, either because they have a physical handicap, transportation challenges, have small children or simply don't have much time," Merzbacher said.

In already established towns, Merzbacher said that the response has been very positive. Some people use it all of the time while others will use it only once a month for stocking up. People will also use the service to avoid driving in the winter.

Peapod has made more than 20 million deliveries since its inception 22 years ago. The Peapod service can also be used by local businesses.

Not near a computer? A mobile app is also available for shopping on the go, which is available on pretty much every device.

Check out Peapod's Quick Guide for more information on how the service works.