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I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

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Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#101

Post by jvvw »

somebodynew wrote: post #3

It seems like a lot of demand issues highlighted by the pandemic could be solved by queues. Instead of saying "there are no slots available", put the user in the queue. Process the queue in order. The improvement in wait time and demand accuracy would be a win for both consumers and the business.

Ocado in the UK has been having queues to get onto the site and limiting people to one slot per week. They are now giving people who have been paying for delivery passes before 2020 priority access to the site one day per week (divided randomly into 7 groups) to book slots. I presume they are also doing something similar for vulnerable customers. I have wondered whether if it'd be possible to hack the queuing process somehow but imagine the number of people capable of doing that would be tiny and am too honest to consider myself! I'm more wrangling with whether it is ethical to take a slot at all (but we are getting allergen-free stuff for another family and don't want to let them down).

Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#102

Post by zelphirkalt »

reaperducer wrote: post #52

Of all the grocery companies in my area, only Walmart has it right: Choose an available pick up time, then start online shopping. All the others let you fill your cart, then at checkout tell you there are no slots available until the end of time. Waste of time, energy, and hope. F U, Target, Safeway, Albertsons, and Kroger.

Just to get this right: It's called online shopping, but actually it is only that one chooses online and then needs to go there to pick it up (basically, no delivery service)? Or are the pick up times, when you can pick it up at your own door?

Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#103

Post by aidos »

matthewmacleod wrote: post #88
reaperducer wrote: post #52

Of all the grocery companies in my area, only Walmart has it right: Choose an available pick up time, then start online shopping. All the others let you fill your cart, then at checkout tell you there are no slots available until the end of time. Waste of time, energy, and hope. F U, Target, Safeway, Albertsons, and Kroger.

I find this is is equally a pain in the arse though. In normal times, I add stuff to my cart throughout the week then at the weekend top it off and book a delivery. Ocado in the UK has the best model in my experience - allowing you to reserve a delivery slot before shopping if you want, but not enforcing this. Unfortunately they have also been the worst-affected from a surge in customers from a technical standpoint a…

With ASDA you can do an order and book a slot and checkout. Then you can make changes up until about 11pm the night before delivery.

Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#104

Post by Brakenshire »

philliphaydon wrote: post #70
Lucadg wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Bulgaria between 8.30 and 10.30 shops are open for the elderly only. I'm not sure how effective this is but it strikes me as a good low tech move.

Singapore does 7am till 8am, you need a senior citizen card, or be taking care of a senior citizen / person with disability to get in during this time. I think this is really great. When I go it's often crowded because people are still panicking.

I’m not sure it’s a great idea because older people are far more likely to catch the disease, so you’re crowding the most susceptible, most at-risk demographic together. But I’m not sure there’s an alternative. It’s better if the hours are longer.

Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#105

Post by jon-wood »

rpastuszak wrote: post #93
tomatocracy wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's insane. All the online grocery shops here in the UK work that way (pick slot first then pick items). There are still no slots at all available anywhere for either delivery or collection though.

Care to give some examples? I live in the UK and most of the online stores let you pick the delivery slot after filling the basket, which is an infuriatingly poor UX, given the current circumstances.

A trick I picked up while working on an online grocery delivery store was to book a slot, put a multiple of a single item in to get over the minimum fee, then check out. You’ve then got the slot booked and reserved for you, and can go back and edit the order as the week goes on. Just don’t forget to take the 40 pints of milk out of your basket before the deadline for editing.

Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#106

Post by mantap »

spuz wrote: post #91
sneak wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How not-young must one be to be legitimate in taking steps like this to avoid contracting this potentially fatal illness? I’m not yet 40. I have bought all of my food online and had it delivered for years now. Should I now begin exposing myself to the infection risks posed by going inside a grocery store? This may sound like snark but it’s not. I’m curious about the opinions of people who feel this way.

Are you otherwise healthy? If so and if you find almost every food delivery slot taken then I would say yes, you should be doing your grocery shopping in person. It's not a huge burden to change your behaviours for other people's benefit especially if others also do the same.

And if the slot gets taken by a 20 year old what has been achieved? It's really down to governments to set up food delivery to affected groups. Altruism can't solve this problem.

Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#107

Post by YeGoblynQueenne »

>> everybody stays at home and especially avoids crowded indoor places like supermarkets.

I know I shouldn't do that, my doctor has advised me against it, but I have a headache today and this made it worse and I can't help myself so: this is an oxymoron. If everybody is staying at home, then supermarkets cannot be crowded. If supermarkets are crowded, then everybody is not staying at home. Both things can't be happening at once.

Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#108

Post by YeGoblynQueenne »

reaperducer wrote: post #52

Of all the grocery companies in my area, only Walmart has it right: Choose an available pick up time, then start online shopping. All the others let you fill your cart, then at checkout tell you there are no slots available until the end of time. Waste of time, energy, and hope. F U, Target, Safeway, Albertsons, and Kroger.

It gets worse. In my area, five out of six supermarkets I tried asked me to register and took my details to allow me to order _before_ telling me there are no delivery slots. Those five are: Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Tesco's, Asda and Morrison's. The other one was the Co-Op that charges for registration.

Additionally, Asda had an unticked, opt-out tickbox for its spam email ("news and special offers" etc). That's a dark pattern and illegal under the GDPR.

Fuck those people. Unfortunately, everybody else I tried to order from online is out of stock or closed, or it's Amazon where you can buy a can of beans for the price of a brand new Mazeratti (I exaggerate).

Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#110

Post by kwhitefoot »

Would be simpler to just plan four days in advance. Shopping used to be done once a week, or even once a month for bulk and frozen goods. Now it seems to a be what people do instead of going for a walk in the countryside. Makes even less sense now that you don't have to leave your bed to do it.
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