Key Takeaways
- Through PC Express you can buy groceries from the comfort of your home and go pick it up or have it delivered at scheduled times.
- You can also enjoy PC Express grocery pickups when you have a PC Insiders subscription ($119 per year), and earn 10% back in PC Optimum points when you purchase PC products, plus other perks.
- Other PC Express alternatives for grocery delivery include Instacart, Inabuggy, Walmart Grocery Delivery, Save on Foods, and Costco Grocery Delivery.
If you frequently shop at the Real Canadian Superstore and love PC Optimum points, the PC Express service can make your life much easier.
I wasn’t always a fan of online grocery ordering. Personally, I like to choose my produce and don’t mind walking the aisles and covering a few kilometres in mileage while getting groceries every week.
That being said, I have become way too busy recently, and using PC Express saves me roughly 2 hours per week. Also, even after the pandemic’s social distancing requirements, grocery pickup services are more popular than ever.
Here’s a quick guide to PC Express and how its pickup and delivery service works.
Related: 7 Ways To Earn More PC Optimum Points
What is PC Express?
PC Express is a grocery pickup and delivery service operated by Loblaws and its various grocery and retail stores.
Formerly known as “Click and Collect,” PC Express pickup services are available at over 700 locations, including:
- Real Canadian Superstore
- Atlantic Superstore
- No Frills
- Zehrs
- Valu-mart
- Your Independent Grocer
- Wholesale Club
With PC Express, you no longer need to step inside the store. Simply place an order and go pick it up or have it delivered to your doorstep.
The PC Express App is available on iOS and Android devices.
How Does PC Express Pickup Work?
To get started, visit PCExpress.ca and choose a store. The stores available will depend on your province.
For example, in Ontario, you can use PC Express to shop at nine different retailers. In Manitoba, it’s only three.
You will be taken to a page with all the pickup locations in your area.
If, for some reason, the map defaults to Ontario or somewhere else, enter your address or postal code to narrow down the locations to your area.
You are now taken to the store’s website, where you can select a timeslot and add items to your cart.
Note that available timeslots are now several days out due to the current surge in online shopping.
If you already earn PC Optimum points and have an account, you can easily fill your cart by visiting your “My Shop” section and choosing your regulars from either the “Most Purchased” or “Past Orders” section.
You can also create a list for your next order.
Enter a payment card. I use my PC World Elite Mastercard to earn more PC points. Payment won’t occur until after you pick up your order. Discounts available in the store also reflect on the prices available online.
Here is a list of cash back credit cards you can use when shopping for groceries.
PC Express Substitution
If any items on your list are unavailable, the personal shoppers try to make reasonable substitutions. If you are unsatisfied with the substituted product, you can remove them from your order during pickup.
Shortages have been more common in the past couple of weeks, and the substitutes they suggest usually work for me.
PC Express Pickup
Depending on your province, you can pick up orders at the grocery store, use self-serve or neighbourhood pick up, and pick up at select GO and TTC stations.
For grocery store pick-ups, you will get an email and/or text message when your order is ready.
Park your vehicle in one of the designated parking spots and call the number provided on the app. They will ask if you are okay with the substituted items and proceed to bring your order.
PC Insiders
Normally, PC Express pickups cost between $3 to $5.
I have a PC Insider subscription, and it offers the opportunity to:
- Earn 10% back in PC Optimum points when you purchase a PC product. This offer is available on more than 12,000 PC products.
- Free shipping and grocery pick-up. The PC Express pick-up fee is waived with your membership ($3-$5 savings per trip)
- You get 5% back in PC Optimum points when you book through PC Travel
- Exclusive offers on PC insiders collections
- A free welcome box when you first sign up
A PC Insiders subscription costs $119 per year plus taxes.
Sometimes, they also offer promotional codes where you get up to 50,000 PC Optimum points ($50 value) when you sign up for a PC Insiders account.
Related: PC Insiders subscription review
How Does PC Express Delivery Work?
PC Express offers same-day home delivery via its partnership with Instacart.
To get started, order your groceries online as usual and choose the delivery option.
Service and delivery fees apply and vary based on the size of your order, delivery time, and location. The minimum order size to use PC Express Delivery is $10.
It is virtually impossible to get a PC Express Delivery slot in my area right now.
You may have better luck placing your order directly via the Instacart app.
Related: Best Grocery Shopping Apps for Cash Back
Online Grocery Delivery Options in Canada
Some other options in Canada for grocery delivery include:
1. Voilà Grocery Delivery
Voilà is a grocery delivery service available in the Greater Toronto Area, Greater Montreal Area, and Quebec City. It simplifies deliveries from Sobeys, offering customized delivery dates and times.
The minimum order is $35, and you get a discount on your first order, such as $15 off as of this writing.
Voilà by Sobeys also offers a Delivery Pass that allows customers to make unlimited orders at a flat monthly fee, ranging from $9.99 to $14.99.
Learn more about this service in our Voilà review.
2. Instacart
This grocery delivery service is available in Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, PEI, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland.
In Manitoba, you can use Instacart to shop at Walmart, Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart, Staples, Wholesale Club, and Bulk Barn.
When you become a member of Instacart Express, you enjoy unlimited free deliveries on all orders over $35. Instacart Express comes with a monthly/annual fee.
3. Inabuggy
They deliver groceries in as little as one hour from Costco, Walmart, Safeway, Freshco, Sobeys, Metro, and others. Inabuggy is available in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton.
A $5.99 grocery delivery fee plus a personal shopper picking fee applies.
4. Walmart Grocery Delivery
This service is available in some areas and costs $9.97 for picking, packing, and delivering your order. The minimum order amount is $50 before taxes and fees.
The cut-off time for Walmart grocery delivery is 10:30 pm PST. Their pickup and delivery orders and timeslots are currently limited to an 8-day window.
5. Costco Grocery Delivery
Costco grocery delivery normally delivers in two days; however, it is currently running at 9-10 days due to the current emergency situation. You need to be a Costco member to use this service.
There is no delivery fee on orders of $75 or more, and there is no minimum order.
6. Save on Foods
This retailer operates in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Yukon territory. Shop online and either select pickup or delivery.
Related: Best Food Delivery Apps in Canada
Beware of PC Express. Ordered a lesser priced product, which was substituted by a product DOUBLE the cost. If the requested product is not available, that should be noted at the time of checkout – unless Loblaws company does not have computerized inventory.
This is particularly egregious during COVID-19.
I won’t forget.
I agree with Kevin. Substituting much more expensive items for advertised specials is common. Also watch for substitution of a smaller product for the same price. And check your order- they “forget” some items.If your budget matters don’t use this service.
@Anne: I agree that the substitutions I have been getting of recent are generally more expensive than I would like.
I agree with all about the PC express option, my mistake for not checking the bags and just letting the grocery clerk put the bags in the car without checking, one item was missing, another substituted for a higher priced product and my eggs were mostly broken. I contacted their customer relations department where I was advised that a refund on my credit card could take 2 weeks to a month so I should opt for a credit voucher for the next grocery shop. Ok fine I took the voucher and they refunded my missing item and changed the price on my substitution and gave a discount on my broken eggs however this NEVER has happened when I do Walmart online grocery shopping so this is the first and last time I use their PC express online pick up service. Oh and forgot to mention that when you place the order you are not told that a ‘hold’ on your credit card will be placed for 125% of your order value, so I flipped when I seen a different charge amount than the checkout price. All this problems and I still got charged a $3 pick up fee FFS!
Been ordering from this place for well over a year.
Most delivery person’s won’t deliver Bacon, or ham.
And today I logged on, and Everything is a dollar More.
Everything.
And a question I’ve asked Several times but got NO answer..
WHO is keeping out PC Points, WHY are we not getting these points when other’s shop for us…
Where are these points going!?
One thing you didn’t mention in your article is that there is actually a PC Express App for download. .
I have been using the app since before Covid.I have a special needs child so having a service comes in very handy at times when I’m not able to bring them into the store or have the time to spare. I don’t have a PC insiders membership but there was all kinds of incentives that were provided pre-Covid for me to use their service. Occasionally they would give me a free pie at special occasions like Thanksgiving etc., another time they gave me all my green totes free of charge, sometimes they waved my pick up fee but almost always I was provided a bottle of water and a treat. Whenever there was a substitution they would let me know via email or phone call and I would be given the choice and quite often they would give me the substitution for the same price Of the item I ordered if the substituted item was priced higher.
I think what you’re seeing now is the fact that the demand for the service is so high that unless you have an insider’s membership the incentives are not provided and they are just very busy. Only once have I had an issue with Poorly chosen produce. Overall I love their service and can’t complain
Do not go to this store unless you would like your credit card funds frozen indefinitely. Pre authorized an order with visa, paid at time of pickup with visa, Preauthorization is pending. Superstore wont do anything and neither will the bank. $400 taken under false pretences. I have been a dedicated superstore patron for years…..myself and everyone I can get in touch with no longer darken their doorstep. And during a pandemic at Christmas?
PC Express is the worst online grocery ordering service I’ve used in almost 20 years of online ordering.
Wrong items picked. Spoiled produce. (One was so moldy and disgusting, the bag was dripping. I paid $7 to immediately throw away an entire bag of organic nectarines!) Missing items. In all, I overpaid by at least $30 on my order…probably more.
When I contacted the company (with photographic evidence), they offered a $16 coupon off a future PC Express order. Since I (obviously) have zero plans to use PC Express again, this is tantamount to theft. I wonder how I’d be treated if I went into the store and scanned organic produce at the non-organic price, and slipped a few items into my bag without scanning? Could I just say, “Oops,” and offer them $16 as recompense? I doubt it. I suspect law enforcement might be called. It IS theft, after all.
I have used other online grocery services and, with the exception of Instacart, they’ve all been excellent! Never received a single piece of bad produce, and never had a missing or incorrect item.
PC Express is a ridiculous “service”. I mean, who selects obviously and thoroughly spoiled produce? Why is there no system to confirm the receipt matches the picked items? What kind of company refuses to provide a refund when they’ve charged for something the customer didn’t receive? That’s a special kind contempt for customers.
I guess that’d be my summary. Based on my first (and last) experience with PC Express, my takeaway is Loblaws seems to have contempt for its customers. Just… …The most ridiculous online grocery experience I’ve ever had!
I inquired about their substitution policy and how it plays out when they sub a higher priced product or higher price based on weight. I got an answer of; there are two options, you can accept the substitution (knowing it’s a higher rate per pound) and then submit a “price max” request, or of course not accept the substitution.
My issue is the following; what percentage of customers just accept the substitution assuming that they have the customers best interest in mind (which they apparently don’t). The amount of money they are making off of higher priced substitutions is likely staggering, NOT in favour of the customer. I personally ordered strawberries @ $2.50 per pound (on sale), and was subbed a different brand of strawberries @ $4.00 per pound. This to me, is borderline criminal and they should be automatically price matching OR at the very least be VERY clearly stating that this product is higher priced or higher price based on weight.
In conclusion, there has to be law passed that prevents this borderline criminal behaviour. The Scanning Code of Conduct protects consumers and holds companies accountable and this web based grocery ordering behaviour has slipped through the cracks (so far).
I agree they make alot of mistakes and today they have me running 2 hours late,still not here. I called and she lied and said they sent an email and they didnt. Mickey mouse ratings for this service!
I prefer Wallmart pick up, it is free, they deliver to car or inside at customer service if you dont have car. A lot of items are cheaper then Superstore, good for you ketchup was $1.60 less then Superstore & subsitutions are same price , no extra charges if substitution cost more, can order store brand, might get name brand item.
Can pick up order same day if order early.