Should I order online or travel to buy?

Question

So I found a whole bunch of really neat and pretty good looking vegan food online that isn't sold anywhere near me which has me really excited. However I'm having a dilemma on whether to order or not due to the fact that it would have to travel much longer than it would take me to stop by our grocer (around 15-20min). 

The only reason I want to order certain food instead of driving to pick it up, is the minimal amount of vegan meats and dairy alternatives here in my town. We have a decent amount, but are lacking in variety for those things, which I know sounds pretty silly and 1st world problem-y.

And as I type this I feel silly for even asking you all, but I was hoping to get some pros and cons toward this. Or if you all know any great recipes to mimic meat and seafood, i'd love to hear them as well so I can see if those work instead! I know we have a recipe section on this site, but there are a decent amount without reviews that I haven't tried yet, and I'm not sure where to start with them.

Mountainmystic · Answer

I understand your dilemma. I have the same problem. What I do is support local businesses as I can, and if they have the food and herbal supplements I need at a fair price. I'm all about supporting health food stores and grocers. Without small local businesses, we will become subjects to online corporate giants, more so than many of us are now. Imagine a world where you have no physical person to interact with at the store or clerk/cashier. I like the face to face social interaction and to know people have jobs in brick and mortar stores. Now that it's summer in the U.S., I go to local and regional farmers markets, and buy real fresh and mostly organic (as available) veggies and fruits. Then eat salads and have home cooked meals. 

Recipe: Cut extra firm tofu into 1/2 cubes and put in fry pan with coating of vegetable oil. Spoon soy sauce or Braggs amino onto tofu. Add some italian seasoning spices or whatever spice you like. Put stove burner on about 4.  Fry all sides, turning about every 10 minutes till brown and crispy. Fry in pan for an hr. to an hr. and 15 min. Make some brown rice and stir fry veggies to have with fried tofu, and you can have several tasty meals.

Crito · Answer

I try to support local businesses whenever possible. And the reality is that the only vote that makes immediate impact is with your dollars. They matter. 

If you want your grocer to provide more vegan options then buying what they already have will encourage them to expand. 

I’ve worked on the business, branding and marketing side of retail for a while. Numbers matter. Every single one. If more people order online like you then they have to return stock and they are less inclined to order more. 

Our local supermarket chain used to have only a handful of vegan products. But they sold and there was demand for more so now it has  greatly expanded. 

I’d buy from your grocer. When there are things online that they don’t carry, let the store manager know that you wish they’d carry item X so that you could do all your shopping there. That feedback actually does channel its way up to category buyers at retail. You have to be heard by them.

Pupnik · Answer

If you live in a small town or don't have many options nearby I don't see the harm in ordering online at all, and you can choose to support small vegan online retailers too. I have to order certain vegan products because I just can't buy them locally, but I feel like I spend enough on food in local shops as it is. I just occasionally do an online order for the freezer or larder and do my regular shop for everything else.

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