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Last Updated on December 8, 2023
Looking for a way to get Winco groceries delivered to your home? You need to download the Dumpling App! Read my honest review and see how to save $15 on your first order.
How did you get your groceries during the COVID-19 pandemic? Most of us resorted to using Uber Eats, Postmates, and other meal delivery services for takeaway meals, but what about groceries?
Over the last year, I’ve scoured the internet for grocery delivery services that specialize in delivering your essentials right to your doorstep. We’re lucky we have a Berkey water filter so we don’t have to buy bottled water.
I tried all the favorites, including Instacart, AmazonFresh, FoodKick, and FreshDirect. While all these services were great, I couldn’t find any vendor that delivered from Winco.
Since Winco was one of my favorite pre-pandemic stores, I want to find a delivery service offering me the option of ordering from the store.
Enter Dumpling, a platform that shares independent grocery delivery services, promising me anything I need from Winco. As you can imagine, I had to give it a try. Here’s my experience with ordering from Winco through the Dumpling app.
What is the Dumpling App, and how does it work?
Dumpling got its start when three tech execs founded the company in 2017. The trio planned the app as a portal for handling user complaints about Instacart.
After reading through a slew of user issues, the entrepreneurs decided to shift the app’s focus, launching it as a grocery delivery service platform for individuals designed to solve the problems consumers were experiencing with Instacart.
The app saw huge growth in 2020, as more people started using it to order their groceries and essentials online.
Registering with Dumpling is easy, just download the app from the Apple or Google Play Stores, and set it up on your device.
Sign up for the Dumpling App to shop at Winco and save $15 off your first order! Coupon code: GIRLSAVING15 (expires June 30) Terms: The coupon is valid for first time WinCo Foods orders with a minimum of $50 of groceries. >> https://winco.dumpling.us/
You’ll see a range of stores available for grocery delivery; just click on the Winco logo. After opening the Winco page, you’ll find three search boxes.
The first gives you a general search for items in the store. The second search box shows you your previously ordered items, and the third search box gives you the option of browsing by category.
When you find the items you’re looking for, click the add button to add them to your cart. The app also gives you the option of typing in a custom product or order you can’t find on the list.
When you’re finished shopping, click the checkout button, and the app pulls you through to the payment page where you can pay for your goods.
If you’re happy with your order, click the “summary” button, and you get a look at your complete shopping list before you finalize your purchase. You’ll enter the tip amount you want to give the shopper and your preferred address for the delivery of your shopping.
After verifying your order, entering your address and tip amount, the app asks you to make your payment. Click the button that says “Add Payment Method,” and you’ll find options for credit and debit cards.
The Dumpling app verifies the payment and reserves a $20 amount on your card facility until you process your order and Dumpling charges your card.
That’s it; simple, right?
My shopping experience with the Dumpling App
The Dumpling app connects you with shoppers in your local area that are willing to go through the hassle of visiting the store, selecting your groceries, and delivering them to your preferred location.
You can create custom notes within the app for your shopper to read. To start, you download the app and enter your zip code. Dumpling connected me with my personal shopper, Vanessa. Vanessa had excellent reviews, and I immediately felt like I was dealing with someone that knew what they were doing.
Looking at Vanessa’s profile, I could see her availability and the stores she shops at for her customers, including Winco – fantastic.
Placing my Winco order with the Dumpling app
After my feelings of jubilance started to subside, I feverishly filled out my shopping list – I couldn’t believe I was actually get everything I needed from Winco! Best of all, I wasn’t dealing with a bot; I was working with a real human being!
There’s something that inspires confidence around this model. Sure human beings make mistakes – probably more often than bots. However, there’s a personal, warm feeling to opening the Dumpling app and placing your order.
I found that knowing Vanessa was taking care of my shopping duties caused me less anxiety than I had when ordering from other sites using bot-based order placing systems.
How much does it cost?
With the order on its way, I was genuinely curious to see how things played out. Would I get everything on my list, or would I be in for a disappointment? Around six hours later, there was a knock on my door, and Vanessa was there with my shopping – perfect.
I had a brief chat with Vanessa (and yes, it was while wearing my mask and standing around 9-feet away from her). She said that she enjoyed working with the Dumpling app. She claims the app makes her feel like she’s in charge of an independent small business, despite relying on the app for income.
She states that she can set her rate, removing the need to rely on fixed rates as a DoorDash Dasher or with another food delivery company.
She also remarked that she found the same people continue to use her services, helping her build a client portfolio, allowing her to manage the relationship between herself and her customers.
According to Vanessa, some shoppers will charge a flat fee for their services. Others, like her, charge a percentage of the order value alongside a gratuity.
The app makes it easy for the client to check on the transparency of the charges in the order, ensuring they get what they’re paying for when they purchase Dumpling. That’s great for the consumer because there’s absolutely no chance of price gouging through the service.
After Vanessa dropped off my shopping and left, I looked into some Dumpling reviews to see what people were saying about the service.
Overall, the remarks were overwhelmingly positive. According to official statements from Dumpling representatives, the average shopper, like Vanessa, makes around $33 per trip to the store, and that’s about three times the money they earn working for other grocery delivery apps.
For me, Vanessa’s trip to Winco ended up costing me a total of $145. Vanessa charged me $16 for the shop and the delivery to my apartment, and then a $16 tip. These figures show that the Dumpling representative was more or less right on the money – with Vanessa earning $32 from the transaction.
Sure, Dumpling might be an expensive service. However, if you’re looking to get your essentials from stores that don’t have the traditional delivery option, Dumpling can make it happen for you. The convenience alone makes it a real winner.
Having Vanessa do my shopping was great, and I felt more secure with the process than typing my order into a bot interface and praying for the best.
My in-app experience with Dumpling
While I’m reviewing Dumpling here, I want to express my satisfaction with Vanessa. It seems all the user reviews of Dumpling I looked into had a similar experience with their shopper. In a way, it feels like I’m shopping with Vanessa, not with Dumpling.
She even went as far as to text me when she was in the store after she couldn’t find one of my items. I texted back a replacement, and she sorted it out for me. How convenient and professional.
While Dumpling isn’t available in every zip code, I would highly recommend giving it a try if it services your area.
