The experts are predicting a big swing to internet use for consumer buying, as a result of the virus emergency. For me at least, I think I will be doing less net buying.

My lady, a bad asthmatic, has been keen to have groceries delivered, but this mornings delivery will be the last. 3 items canceled & refunded, out of stock, but available when ordered, 2 items simply missing, 3 substitutions, & fruit I will be throwing out untouched is too much for me. I'll take my chances at the super market & pick my own stuff.

Deliveries of items ordered from Ozzie companies I have long used have become much slower & less reliable. Orders have been canceled, with refunds made, but no notification of this to me. Delivery times have stretched from days to weeks. Yes I know the Post office & some couriers are struggling, & I am prepared to help by not using them in future.

With overseas suppliers delivery times have stretched from 2 or 3 weeks to 3 months & still not arrived. This opportunity for companies to expand their internet business has found them wanting. They have blown their chance, & in fact, I will do less internet purchasing in future than previously.

The decision is yours.

You're a hard man to please Phil.

Don't worry, things will be a lot different once we start filling up the country with millions of cashed up Chinese.

Hasbeen,

I wouldn't take much notice of what the "experts" predict, after they were so wrong about their China virus predictions and their continuing stupidity on climate change. I tend to agree with you on online shopping. Bear in mind all the hogwash we continually hear from these backroom experts. The end of cash. Reducing interest rates, sure that economic activity will increase, when even the instigator of that nonsense, the RBA Governor, now admits has not happened. I reckon if we expect the very opposite of what the halfwits in Canberra and their "experts" predict, we will be safe.

Hi Hassy,

Never tried the online grocery shop, and I can see the problems. My wife is a bit of a shopper on line. There are a few traps for young players.

1. The cost, is it in $US then converted to $A, big difference.
2. Delivery charges what was cheap, suddenly doubled in price.
3. Pick-up problems, your time, not home, card left, agent 20km round trip.
4. Return policy, some free, some your cost, O/S very expensive.
5. Warranty probs, parts missing, wrong item, etc.

BUT there is always my daughter-in-law. They had an overgrown aloe vera plant, some plastic pots and a bag of potting mix. She pots up 5 aloes, put them up on 'Gumtree' free ads. $5 pick-up, sold the 5 in a morning. My wife has bought several household items cheap on 'Marketplace', my niece sells on the same site.

Interesting subject.

We have increased our purchase of products online, mostly because they are a lot cheaper.

In addition, there a lot of products you would not see in local shops.

Sad for local retail, but here to stay i think.

The smart retailers will adapt, nbut there could be severe retail job implications.

As for food, I will never order online if i have the choice.

Dear Hassie,

The corona virus has had no effect on our shopping
what so ever. We live in suburban Melbourne and our
shops and car parks are as full as ever.

Admittedly
some smaller shops by nature of their merchandise and
not attracting customers have shut their doors.
And of course cafes and
restaurants are only open for take-aways although
they're beginning to re-open with limited seating.
But we can't really complain. Life in our
neighbourhood appears relatively normal.

We don't do internet shopping because my husband refuses
to give his bank details on the web. We've heard stories
of too
many scammers getting access to accounts.

Foxy,

To understand what this post is all about you first have to acknowledge that Phil is your typical Aussie whiner.

Hi Foxy. I agree with your husband, & would never use internet banking, or put my card numbers on the net. I do believe PayPal is safe, & only do business with companies who accept it.

As it is a long drive to any form of Hobby shop, & today I have given up working on my cars, I have been building remote control planes for some years.

I have been getting more of my supplies from Hong Kong & the US as Ozzie suppliers were stocking less of the stuff I like. Since the virus delivery times are growing exponentially. Four months for delivery of a minor electronic component is leading me to chose more simple gear from Asia, & give the US away completely.

Dear Hassie,

Thanks for explaining your situation in more detail.

I guess none of us can fully appreciate what others
are going through during this time, until we place
ourselves in their shoes. I didn't fully understand
your situation. Sorry for being ignorant and not seeing
how difficult and frustrating things would be for you.

It now makes more sense to me.

Hmmm, I have ordered groceries from both Coles & Woolies without any
dramas. Each order has usually had one out of stock and occasionally
have got a substitution.
They update their delivery time in the morning and have arrived almost
on that time by five minutes or so.
The fruit we have ordered has been very good.
I can only recommend the service.

As far as Internet Shopping goes. Don't order anything out of China for a while. Not because I'm being racist. It's just that nothing is moving from there. I've had a number of Orders sitting at Distribution Points in China for 5, 3 & 2 months.

I always use Pay Pal. They are very good if there are any problems. Refunds are right on the money.

"My lady, a bad asthmatic, has been keen to have groceries delivered, but this mornings delivery will be the last. 3 items canceled & refunded, out of stock, but available when ordered, 2 items simply missing, 3 substitutions, & fruit I will be throwing out untouched is too much for me. I'll take my chances at the super market & pick my own stuff."

A few of my friends get groceries delivered and they frequently complain of items substituted or missing.

Has anyone else noticed Kmart, BigW, Aldi and others are suffering a Chinese supply shortage. Bangladesh clothing is still okay with them, but is China cutting supply of toasters and flower pots to teach Aussie a lesson. As Confucius said; "You can't sell empty shelves!" or was the Bob the Builder who said that.

Paul1405,

Australia's politicians, bureaucrats and business people have been selling the country out to China for the past 30 years and now we are paying the price for it as the CCP shows us the level of control it has over our society and economy and as I think Andrew Forrest showed over our politicians when he shoved Greg Hunt off to podium to make room for his CCP mate.

Hi Mr o,

Over 100 years ago, me old granny was teaching Chinese market gardeners English in the front room of her home, shocking as it was to the neighbours, those who would go to the Chinese gardens to buy cheap, good quality produce, much to the disgust of the local Aussie green grocer.

Give me a straight answer on this one. What do you prefer, chop suey and dim sum, or hamburgers and hot dogs? Don't say roo and wallaby steaks on a barbee caus they are strictly off the menu! Have been so for 40 years!

I think you may find a lot of shops that never open again in rented premises. Online shopping will get bigger and bigger albeit working out of suburban garages.
Pay pall is definitely the way to go as has-been for years.
There is no problems with online banking all transactions are recorded and stored for years. I have been doing online banking since 1990. If there is any transactions that are out of ordinary the bank will let you know pronto, as they are liable for false transactions.
These systems are not about to go away so get used to it.

Paul1405,

I'm more a filet mignon and lobster man myself.

I hope your filet mignon is wagyu beef Mr O, otherwise you are not treating yourself well at all.

A small local independent supermarket in a town near us occasionally gets whole wagyu rumps. They are very reasonably priced, but are huge, even cut up & individually vacuum sealed one will nearly fill my freezer, but they leave any other beef for dead. The worst of them are about as good as 100 day grain feed Angus.

Do your self a favor, & get some. Surely you realise 120+ million Japanese are unlikely to be wrong.

Can anyone tell me what's the deal with Sushi?

Some people rave about it.
I've never tried it. Unless herrings can be counted
as Sushi? My understanding it that Sushi is raw
fish. Anyone tried it?

Phil,

Thanks for the advice but haven't you noticed that Japanese are all crazy? I think there's something in the wagyu. Stick to good old fashioned eye fillet and stay sane.

Foxy,

Ohayogozaimasu! Sushi wa suki desu ka?

I don't like it; I find it too fishy for me.

Try it - most people rave about it.

Mr O,

I'm sorry you find it too fishy.

I enjoy eating fish so I shall try it.

My daughter-in-law buys hers at her local
Sushi Sushi restaurant in Hawthorn.
She "likes her Sushi from there".

Hi Foxy,

Both the wife and I love Japanese, "T" in fact is very 'Hainamana' (Asian) in her outlook, has a small amount of Hainamana blood. Back in the day, up in the Bay of Islands, all sorts of sailors jumped ship to the Maori women. When we lived in Sydney, "T" would go to China Town to buy things from the Chinese herbalists, strange things at times. We shopped at the Hainamana butchers in Hurstville, only place to find fresh pigs jelly and tero tero (pigs intestine), course fatty pork mince, chicken livers (secret ingredient) add a few other things like onions, stale bread crumbs, herbs, etc and in the oven for a while and you've got black podding. One night a friend put on a multicultural food night as a fund raiser in their backyard. Instead of the usual 'Boil Up' or 'Hangi' (Woolies were fresh out of missionaries that day) "T" did Maori blood sausage. It went down really well, when anyone asked whats in it? Ah...pork mince and a few herbs and spices was the stock answer.

At the butchers there was the language barrier, neither could speak the others lingo, the old lady in Cantonese, "T" in English, I would say, you'll do better speaking Maori to her, then she would, with much gesturing and hand waving, got the message across as to what she wanted, always happy people, but busy!

According to "T" Hainamana liniment oil is the best thing for her joint pain, contains camphor, menthol, turpentine and other oils, plant and root extracts in a white cream. Can't drink it (sorry Donald) but it works better than joint rubs from the chemist.

Foxy,

Sushi is far more than just raw fish, as with any dish the ingredients and preparation is as important as the preferences of the diner.

I enjoy Sushi, oysters, carpaccio (thinly sliced raw beef) and a variety of delicacies but not all the time.

My wife also makes a spectacular lasagne.

Tips about quality meat before ordering online.
Wagu beef is riddled with fat.
Grain fed beef and pork is riddled with hormones and antibiotics.
Supermarket chicken is riddled with antibiotics.
Farmed antibiotic riddled salmon should not be used as Sushi.
God only knows what's in farmed imported basa catfish.

Thanks so much to everyone for your tips.

I'm going to give Sushi a go.

I love sea-food. Was raised on herring - with
various marinades.

I'll see how I go.

Foxy,

My doctor put me on a seafood diet and now I eat everything I see!

Shadow Minister,

You meant to say: la mia moglia fa una lasagna spettacolare.

Lasagne e due e piu lasagna. Capisce Signor SM?

Hi Foxy,

When living in Sydney "T" and I were regulars at a local Japanese restaurant. Small but cosy, well run with a very good menu. Always busy, A typical meal for us, would be miso soup, gyoza 1 or 2 serves with dipping sauce, and for a main a raw salmon and tuna platter, nicely presented with raw vegs like radish, seaweed wraps, all served with Japanese rice and condiments. Add a Asahi beer for me, and soft drink for "T". The cost would be between $40/$60 with a tip, rather filling.

For "T" Japanese is up there with Chinese Yum Cha, chicken feet, "T" can eat a dozen on her own, pork buns, steamed green vegs with sauce, etc, all good.

The spread of COVID-19 is based on two factors;

1; how dense the population is.
2; how dense the population is.