As a professional app and ecommerce tester with over a decade of experience, I‘ve analyzed user data from thousands of online stores. But the grocery delivery space still poses unique challenges for shoppers that even some of the biggest players struggle to fully address.
Specialized grocery delivery services aim to serve niche audiences that larger companies may overlook. That includes fans of Asian and Hispanic ingredients searching for authentic dishes from around the globe.
Enter SayWee – a grocery delivery service catering to diverse and hard-to-find foods. I recently tested the app and ordered several times over a month. Keep reading for my full review of the ordering process, products, delivery, and more key factors to consider.
Overview of Online Grocery Delivery
Before diving into the specifics around SayWee, let‘s look at a few key statistics about the wider grocery delivery industry:
- The online grocery market reached over $250 billion globally in 2022, fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic
- An estimated 25% of US households currently subscribe to some form of grocery delivery service like Amazon Fresh or Instacart Express memberships
- 72% of consumers who started picking up groceries curbside or getting them delivered during COVID plan to continue doing so even after the pandemic ends
As delivery models prove popular across customer demographics, companies like SayWee carve an identity around specific shopper needs. They key in on ingredients and international foods that you won‘t easily find elsewhere.
About SayWee Grocery Delivery
SayWee launched in 2015 founded by Larry Liu who struggled to locate authentic Chinese groceries around San Francisco. The service began focused solely on Asian speciality ingredients before expanding into a wider grocery catalog.
Today, SayWee lets you order over 5,000 products including:
- Rare imported ingredients and canned/packaged goods
- Spices, sauces, noodles, snacks from various Asian regions
- Produce, meat and seafood
- Dairy, baked goods, frozen foods
- Latin American products
- Everyday pantry items and household essentials
You‘ll also find items like pho soup base or Sichuan peppercorns alongside ordinary cart staples like eggs and orange juice. SayWee delivers across 40+ major metro areas in the US and Canada.
My goal in testing out SayWee was to see how well a specialized grocery delivery service could compete on convenience, product availability, prices, and overall user experience. Here‘s how SayWee stacked up after extensive hands-on research.
Ordering Experience and App
Signing up for SayWee only requires an email address or connecting your Google account. No lengthy questionnaires or personal details needed beyond a delivery location.
The SayWee app and website make browsing by category or searching for products easy. Better organization compared to chaotic mega-grocery apps provides a more curated feel. Recommended items and best-sellers highlight where to start when everything looks so intriguing!
I could find nearly all my regular essentials in addition to exciting imports and exotic ingredients at affordable prices. A few niche Korean products fell outside SayWee‘s inventory, but the selection otherwise impressed.
SayWee lets you pick an exact hour-long delivery window up to two weeks in advance. It was simple to coordinate drop-offs for when I expected to be home.
Ease of use: 5/5
Product availability 4.5/5
Cost Breakdown and Discount Analysis
SayWee aims to price match standard grocery store rates on most everyday items. In my testing, staples like produce, meat, and dairy aligned with my usual weekly online order from a major national chain. Unit prices per pound on chicken breast came out the same as both Amazon Fresh and Instacart down to the cent.
Imported and specialty goods understandably rang up higher than mass-market alternatives. This premium makes sense considering the effort required to source niche ingredients. However, costs seemed reasonable given the quality and remained cheaper than the only Asian grocery store in my area.
- Lychees – $7 per 1.1 lbs bag (~$6.36/lb)
- Shanghai thick noodles – $8 per 1.1 lbs package (~$7.27/lb)
- Frozen pork & chive dumplings – $11 per 5 dozen bag (~$0.46 per dumpling)
- Jalapeño pork rinds – $13 per 1.1 oz bag
- Coconut gelatin dessert – $5 per box of 15 cubes
On my first order, I saved 20% off and scored free delivery by spending over $35. Hitting the minimum for complimentary shipping is easy when grabbing a few different items.
Repeat orders net 2% cashback through SayWee‘s free VIP program. Membership also unlocks members-only sales that promise prices up to 30% cheaper than local stores.
Stacking first-order and VIP discounts lets frequent shoppers maximize long-term savings on niche groceries. Considering the effort it takes to source some of these products outside major metro areas, the ability to buy them online directly through SayWee already saves a headache.
Affordability 4/5
Discounts and savings opportunities: 5/5
Delivery Experience and Customer Service
As part of my testing, I placed five orders with varying delivery dates, times, and drop-off locations over one month.
SayWee arrived within the chosen delivery window 100% of the time. Produce and refrigerated/frozen items came properly packaged with cold packs when needed. Nothing spoiled or opened in transit.
Several fragile glass bottles from one order shattered. But SayWee promptly issued a refund when I reported the damage through their online chat support. Their 3-day guarantee on perishables and 7-day policy for non-food items provides plenty of time to inspect deliveries.
Chat reps were quick to respond and process my refund without hassle. Calling customer service, I experienced hold times under 60 seconds. The representative helpfully looked up answers to my questions about SayWee‘s supplier standards and food freshness guarantees.
Reliability 5/5
Customer service 5/5
Pros and Cons of Grocery Delivery from SayWee
What I loved about SayWee:
- Access to rare, authentic ingredients unavailable locally
- Smooth ordering process and app experience
- Reasonable cost for hard-to-find and imported products
- Flexible delivery with exact dates/times
- Generous return policy provides peace of mind
- VIP membership rewards frequent shoppers
Potential drawbacks to consider:
- Can‘t inspect certain items like meat and produce before purchasing
- Added fees for smaller orders or those under $35
- Inventory relies on partnerships with small suppliers so uniqueness comes above consistency
Shoppers living in a metro area with multiple Asian grocery store options may find better prices on common products like noodles in-person. SayWee makes the most sense solving the niche need of discovering new and exciting ingredients rather than everyday staples.
Final Verdict: Best for Adventurous Cooks Seeking Hard-to-Find Items
SayWee earns a full five stars for providing an unparalleled specialty grocery delivery service. The variety of eclectic ingredients caters flawlessly to global ingredient enthusiasts tired of scouring tiny ethnic markets for their next culinary adventure.
Convenience does come at a small premium. But costs seem reasonable and competitive for the effort required to source such uncommon foods at a wider scale.
While SayWee extends to more ordinary items like dairy and baked goods, the imports shine brightest. Use SayWee to elevate home cooking experiments with new flavors otherwise unavailable in your area. Their selection sets them apart from major chains focused on mass appeal inventory.
Personally, I loved being able to grab rare Korean chili pastes, authentic Chinese barbecue sauce, and tangy Peruvian dipping creams without leaving my apartment. Never having to compromise for plain salsa again after discovering SayWee‘s dizzying variety of Latin American salsas makes membership worthwhile all on its own.
For cooks craving new inspiration busting grocery store monotony, SayWee delivers. Check availability in your neighborhood and grab a heavily discounted first-order bounty to kickstart culinary adventures from the comfort of your kitchen.
