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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

#151

Post by fao_ »

zxcvbn4038 wrote: post #42
ineedasername wrote: post #2

Amazon Fresh (until a few days ago) was releasing slots 3 days out each night at midnight, so I've been saying up to place orders. Now it seems incremental throughout the day, but I've gotten lucky and nicked a spot. However, they don't have everything I need even normally. Now, it's even worse, so I have to order from multiple places. The local Mart's that deliver are still opening their slots at midnight, though us…

Still better then Wal-Mart’s site where everything is in-store pick up, and Target’s site where everything is out but you can’t tell until you click into the item and try to put it into a basket. My only gripe with Amazon is that it’s too hard to distinguish between them and their third party sellers, and it’s a pain to deal with the sellers. I also wish there was a button to report price gouging - I was looking for…

Amazon profits off price gouging, though, because they get a percentage of the profits. And since price gouging isn't strictly illegal -- it's seen as a perfectly valid part of capitalism by the state -- there isn't really any way to disincentivise it.

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

#152

Post by HSO »

jbm wrote: post #14
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.

38% of the people hospitalized with COVID-19 are between 20 and 54. [1] Everyone can catch the illness, everyone can wind up in the hospital, and depending on the state of the local hospitals, everyone is in immediate danger. [1] https://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/medical/close-to-40percent-...

you missed the "healthy" part.

obese, diabetic, or cardiovascular condition means you're in a risk group, regardless of age.

pretty sure the relatively high numbers cited in the us are partly a statistical fluke resulting from the way the sample was generated and partly due to higher rates of metabolic disease etc in the us compared to european or asian countries

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

#153

Post by toast0 »

anbop wrote: post #63
toast0 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Grocery delivery needs an address. You could pretty easily limit to one queued order per address, and limit order changes.

One hack around address limits is to put in a unit number. 1 Park Avenue or whatever in Manhattan will have multiple units in it. And if you live in one of these units you can add a letter, like "Unit 522B" which will just get delivered to your unit 522. Some companies have databases that know the layouts in each address but many do not.

And when the grocery delivery person comes and sees the addresses don't match, your address gets blacklisted.

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

#154

Post by apta »

40four wrote: post #130
mderazon wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you trust the employee who restocked the shelves with all the groceries or filled the stands with fruits?

That’s true, but that can’t be eliminated.

It's a necessary step either way. The point is that you're going to have to clean whatever you end up purchasing anyway.

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

#155

Post by stanmancan »

40four wrote: post #115

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 s…

We just sanitize everything that comes into the house. Anything in a package gets wiped down with Clorox wipes d anything else gets washed with soapy water. Bags to into the garbage the kitchen gets Wiped down with Clorox wipes once it’s all put away. It slows things down but it’s the only safe way I can think of to make sure you aren’t bringing anything home from the store. That goes for delivery or self shopping; you have no idea who or how many people touched the products you bought and are bringing home, so better be safe then leave it up to guess work.

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

#156

Post by jniedrauer »

goldenCeasar wrote: post #146
sp0rk wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've been keeping my groceries in the bag, sticking the entire thing in the refrigerator, and then not touching it for at least 24 hours. Unfortunately, this won't do anything to kill/remove the virus, and may potentially make it last longer. You should be washing your items with soap or spraying them with isopropyl alcohol.

Yes it will, the virus doesn't survive long outside the body, it may not be the best way as it can survive more than 24 hours in some surfaces, but it is way better than nothing. Note that spraying them with alcohol is also recommended.

From the research I've read, it seems that it can survive 2-3 days on plastic, and potentially a lot less on other surfaces. The cold air in the refrigerator probably does extend its lifespan a bit. I normally wash produce anyway, so it's more of an additional precautionary measure than a single line of defense.

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

#157

Post by sauravs »

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.

It is a good idea. And may be telling the waiting list number or queue number will help. Because otherwise the buyer has to every-time visit the page. User acknowledgement through queue token or waitlisting number will help.

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

#158

Post by skookum »

tzs wrote: post #56
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.

Walmart is also tied for my top spot for in-person shopping during this. Walmart gets that spot because of their mobile app which does a pretty good job of telling me what is in stock at my local store. My other top choice is a small (three store) chain in Western Washington called Central Market [1]. (If the name seems familiar, it may be from season 10 of "Top Chef" which was set in Seattle. Top Chef normally sends…

> ...this was before there were any Whole Foods in the Seattle Area.

I'm not sure where this story originated. The first Whole Foods in the Seattle area* predates the filming of that season by about a decade and is closer to downtown Seattle than any of the Central Markets.

(*the Roosevelt Square store, still at the original location)

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

#160

Post by Brakenshire »

philliphaydon wrote: post #116
Brakenshire wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

British supermarkets have bizarrely cut their hours. Presumably the idea is that staff can stock shelves while distancing from customers, but the effect is to crowd customers together and increase queues.
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