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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

#111

Post by IshKebab »

YeGoblynQueenne wrote: post #107

>> 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 happen…

Everybody stays at home except for essential shopping in supermarkets. Not every statement is meant to be taken 100% literally, but I'm guessing you knew that and are being pointlessly pedantic.

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

#112

Post by IshKebab »

kwhitefoot wrote: post #110

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.

They didn't mean that there were free slots after 4 days.

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

#113

Post by YeGoblynQueenne »

IshKebab wrote: post #111
YeGoblynQueenne wrote: post #107

>> 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 happen…

Everybody stays at home except for essential shopping in supermarkets. Not every statement is meant to be taken 100% literally, but I'm guessing you knew that and are being pointlessly pedantic.

You mean you're guessing I'm a pointless pedant? Thank you for your contribution to my Sunday headache.

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

#114

Post by Gupie »

Swizec wrote: post #6

I’ve just been going to the grocery store as usual and it works great. You show up in the morning and there’s no line yet and shelfs are full. Later in the day they meter entry so you can keep distance inside. Don’t be that ass who makes others do your shopping just coz you’re too afraid to.

You are absolutely correct. There are not enough delivery capability for those who really need it. If you are young and healthy you should be ashamed to be getting your food delivered. It is cowardly.

My esteem goes to those working in the stores, at the tills etc.

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

#115

Post by 40four »

Why is grocery delivery considered a ‘safer’ option than going to the store yourself. I actually prefer to do it myself. I’d rather be the one to lay hands on all my own products.

Why would you trust an unknown group of people to take all the proper precautions? Who picked the item by hand? Who is this bringing it to your door? Are you sure they washed hands? Did they accidentally sneeze on anything? Is the vehicle sanitary? Also, I would imagine people doing these jobs are probably at higher risk of being exposed, just by nature of traveling & being in public all the time.

I would rather trust my own skills to be responsible and protect myself, rather than other unknown entities to touch all my stuff. All the supermarkets I’ve been to have someone at the door sanitizing carts as the hand them too you. I am hyper aware of avoiding touch anything unnecessary. I can keep as much distance from people as I want. I know my hands are clean when I start, and then avoid touching my face until I sanitize after.

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

#116

Post by philliphaydon »

Brakenshire wrote: post #104
philliphaydon wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Alot of super markets in Singapore are 24/7, a lot of the elderly wear masks, and for the most part people adhere to social distancing. The spread is minimal in Singapore.

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

#117

Post by Gupie »

sneak wrote: post #24
Brakenshire wrote: post #4

Young healthy people shouldn’t be doing this, the slots should go to the ill and elderly, people who are in immediate danger from catching the illness.

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.

Yes, the UK supermarkets are asking you to do this. Tesco's CEO "We are at full capacity for the next few weeks and we ask those who are able to safely come to stores to do so, instead of shopping online, so that we can start to free up more slots for the more vulnerable".

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

#118

Post by microtonal »

kwhitefoot wrote: post #110

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.

Maybe there are local dynamics at play (we are in a city in The Netherlands). But my wife has been doing the grocery shopping (since I don't have a driver's license). We would normally shop every day, but she is now going every 3-4 days. And after the initial 3-4 days of hoarding, the grocery stores are far less busy, probably because people are buying for multiple days at a time. She has had no problem keeping the necessary 1.5-2m distance.

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

#119

Post by ashwoods »

saiya-jin wrote: post #83
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.

Same is Slovakia. When looking on handling the covid spread, it seems that generally central/east european countries are doing surprisingly good job compared to western europe, which is rather clueless and is paying/will a rather pay high price for this incompetence.

I think it’s far too soon , and naive, to make such a statement. It’s easy to see some of the mistakes done by Spain and Italy in hindsight, but I don’t see central and Eastern Europe doing any better.

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

#120

Post by PeterisP »

Swizec wrote: post #29
klipt wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In store: you need to have someone stock the shelves, someone walk through the store and pick groceries, and someone handle the payment in person. Chance of infection: depends how long since someone coughed in the store. Online: you need someone to stock the orders and wait for people to drive up for curbside pickup. Chance of infection: low. Surely the second option is both safer and more efficient?

A lot of online options send a person who goes into the store and walks around to get all your stuff. Instacart for example.

Ah, that's quite inefficient (and probably costly) because it's a third party without integration in the logistics chain.

I've tried food deliveries provided by two local major grocery chains. As far as I understand, one of them has the stock-shelving people pack the deliveries (so, before hitting the shelf), and the other seems to pack pack the direct deliveries in the same logistics centres from which they supply their smaller shops, so that stuff never even gets delivered to a store; and the limited overhead means that they offer free delivery for non-small purchases.

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