16A • Thursday, October 5, 2017 NEWS The Republic-Monitor • www.perryvillenews.

com

Technology even affects grocery shopping

It’s no secret; technology
is changing the way we do
things. I don’t trust myself
to get dressed in the morning
before checking my weather
apps (I have three). And I’m
not sure how I survived prior
to having the find my family
app at my fingertips.
But retailers are attempt-
ing to influence us in a new
way (or at least new for
me). They want us to pur-
chase our groceries online.
There are even incentives –
free shipping or discounts,
for instance. The largest re-
tailers are in competition for
our grocery dollars. Whoev-
er wins us over first gets the
prize – ka ching!
It’s an interesting concept:
shopping for groceries with-
out ever entering a store. I’m
not sure how I feel about it.
There are some things I sim-
ply prefer to pick out my-
self. Bananas.
Steak. Bread.
Ice cream. A
cart.
But there
are a slew of
other products
I buy over and JILL
over – week PERTLER
in, week out SLICES OF
– that I’d be LIFE
glad to have
someone deliver to my door.
So one Sunday afternoon,
on a whim, I decided to try
it. Why go to the store when
you can have the store come
to you?
During the process I dis-
covered a few fun, useful and
interesting facts I thought I’d
share.
First, you should know
your prices. Many items
were the same price on-
line as in the store, but some
were not. Those cheap packs
of noodles we all ate in col-
lege cost about 20 cents at the
store, but nearly a dollar on-
line. Chicken noodle soup,
however, is the same both
places.
Despite the advertise-
ments claiming you can
choose from millions of
items, not everything is avail-
able online for home deliv-
ery. You can purchase toilet
paper, but not my preferred
brand and type (I’m fussy
that way). Some things still
require a trip to aisle 12.
Shipping is free if you
order a certain amount. When
my cart didn’t total enough to
get the free shipping I threw
in a pack of paper towels (be-
cause my toilet paper wasn’t
available).
I ordered a variety of ran-
dom items: the aforemen-
tioned paper towels, sham-
poo, cat treats, potato chips,
coffee, vitamins, sports
drinks and assorted canned
goods including soup, crab
meat, tomato sauce and those
spicy diced tomatoes.
The store guaranteed de-
livery in two days and came
through on its promise. De-
livery itself was surprising.
I was expecting one box
– perhaps two. I got seven
or maybe even more; I quit
counting.
All my items arrived un-
scathed and undamaged.
Even the potato chips, which
were wrapped on four sides
cocoon-style in a sort of fit-
ted cardboard box and then
placed in a larger box. Cans
of tomato sauce were placed
end-to-end and wrapped in
bubble wrap. Most boxes
contained at least one (or
more) inflated plastic pack-
ing pillows to cushion items.
Products packaged to-
gether were not what I would
have logically expected.
The coffee arrived first –
a day early – in a box with
the vitamins and a string of
plastic pillows. The rest of
the order came the next day.
One box contained most of
the canned goods, along with
the potato chips, which were
remarkably uncrushed. The
sports drinks came with the
cat treats. The shampoo came
with one can of crabmeat.
Perhaps most surprising
were the spicy tomatoes. I’d
ordered four cans, what with
it being football season —
which is just another name
for spicy tomato and cheese
dip season. The cans arrived
together, but not in the same
box.
Each one came in its own
box, with a cushioned plastic
packing pillow and nothing
else. One 12-ounce can per
box. The packaging and de-
livery had to cost more than
the profit margin on the to-
matoes, but I’m no grocery
(or tomato) expert.
This was an experiment of
sorts. I’d probably do it again
– with certain items, espe-
cially heavy or bulky ones
(with apologies to delivery
persons). But I’m not sure the
concept itself will last – un-
less they figure out a way to
pack items in a more stream-
lined manner.
Until then I’d advise
doing one thing: invest in
packing pillows.
Jill Pertler is an award-win-
ning syndicated columnist,
published playwright, author
and member of the National
Society of Newspaper Colum-
nists. Don’t miss a slice; fol-
low the Slices of Life page on
Facebook.

Fall and Fashion have come together

Come “scavenge” a clue and something
special during Hocus Pocus the evening of
October 20th. We will also be open for
Moonlight Madness on October 26th!

You can explore your own town and find

beautiful new fall fashions, fall Mums
and fresh seasonal produce, lots of area
information, sound financial advice and let
someone else to the searching for land titles.
These businesses are new to Perryville,
and they invite you to stop in and discover
what they have to offer you.

9 E. STE. MARIE STREET • PERRYVILLE, MO • 573.768.4322

Good News
MAKES YOU
Feel Better!
FROM BEGINNING TO END
IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU.

We have been in business for 10 years

• Events Calendar this year with offices in Cape, Jackson
and now Perryville.
• Job Board
We service all of Southeast Missouri
• Birth Announcements
but specialize in Perry, Cape, Scott
and Bollinger Counties.
• Business Features
We are excited to be in Perryville
Find yours and Much More at
www.myheartlandhub.com
and looking forward to
working with YOU!

17 S. JACKSON ST., PERRYVILLE

United Land Title, LLC
5 South Jackson Street
573.605.1404 Perryville, MO
573-517-0077 phone
573-605-1244 fax
www.unitedtitleonline.com

1700 Alma Avenue • Perryville, MO 63775

FRANK 636-208-7604 / BRIDGET 636-232-8159

Deanna K line
OWNER/FINANCIAL ADVISOR
Phone: 573-547-5022
Owners
Email: D.Kline@KlineFinancial.com
Address: 17 East St. Joseph, Perryville, MO 63775
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