Voilà is a popular app offering grocery delivery in Canada. Launched in 2020 as the Sobeys online shopping and delivery app, the service delivers fresh produce and groceries from its dedicated warehouse to a limited number of areas.
The online grocery home-delivery service works by delivering around 20,000 products from popular stores to customers’ homes. Delivery can be within one hour or up to six days, depending on your preference.
In this guide, we look at what Voilà is, how it compares to similar grocery delivery apps and the pros and cons of using it for grocery shopping.
Voilà by Sobeys Summary
Voilà by Sobeys
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Cost
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Ease of Use
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Delivery Options
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Availability
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Summary
Voilà is a grocery delivery app that serves customers by delivering fresh produce and grocery essentials at affordable prices to customer’s homes or cars any day of the week. The Voilà online grocery service, which requires a minimum order of $35, features several stores from which you can shop from, including Sobeys, Farm Boy, and Well.ca. Using this app lets you save on groceries, earn points you can use to purchase groceries and get rewards from its referral program. Voilà is available in select areas only, namely, the Greater Toronto Area, the Greater Montreal Area, Ottawa, the Calgary Area, the Edmonton Area, and Quebec City.
Pros
- Saves money on every delivery
- No hidden service fees or surcharges
- Monthly, bi-annual or annual payments
- Offers Seniors and Mobility Discount
- Freshness guarantee
- Uses a robot-assisted warehouse process
- Discounts and promo codes
Cons
- Limited availability of the service
How to Order Groceries Online from Voilà
To order groceries using the Voila app, open an account first. Enter your postal code to confirm whether they deliver to your area. If Voilà is available in your location, enter other details, like your name and address, to set up your account.
Next, you choose a delivery day and time. Next-day delivery is often available, but you can book up to six days later if you prefer. You also have one-hour windows to choose from on the day you want your delivery to arrive. These start at 6-7 am and go up to 9-10 pm.
The Voilà by Sobeys delivery fee varies based on your delivery time slot, but it is always clearly displayed, and there are no hidden fees. In addition, Voilà offers a good number of delivery options, with next-day delivery available.
Also, look out for discounts. At the time of writing, there is a Voilà Sobeys promo code where you can save $15 on your first order.
There is a minimum order at Voilà, which is currently $35.
While Sobeys is the second-largest grocery store in Canada with about 1,500 stores, including Safeway, Freshco, and others, Voilá is only available in some areas of the country, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area, the Greater Montreal Area, Ottawa, the Calgary Area, the Edmonton Area, and Quebec City, where it launched in 2022 under the name ‘Voilà par IGA.’
You can check whether home delivery is available in your area by visiting the website and entering your postal code.
Voilà has an easy system in place to find the groceries you want. To start, browse by categories like fresh produce, pets, dairy, etc. If you know what you want, the search bar might be quicker.
Sale items are highlighted at the top so you can easily find them and save money on your order.
Once you choose a product category, you can filter the items by organic, kosher, and other options, which saves a lot of time.
You can also sort the items in alphabetical order and price. One really useful feature is the price comparison option. With this, you can sort items by the price per 100g instead of the product’s total price, making it easy to find the most economical option.
If you regularly order the same item in your weekly shop, you can quickly add it to your favourites. Your favourites are listed at the top the next time you shop to save time.
One of the features that makes the service particularly popular is its state-of-the-art warehouse that uses an automated process assisted by robots.
The checkout process is also quick and easy. Enter your card details (MasterCard, Visa or American Express), and a pre-authorized payment is made to secure the order. You then get charged for the full order on delivery.
The delivery process is very efficient. The trucks come with cold zones, so your groceries all arrive at the right temperature.
What Is Voilà Delivery Pass?
If you use Voilà regularly, you may be interested in the Delivery Pass. It allows you to make as many orders as you want without paying extra delivery charges.
This service starts at $9.99 monthly for a midweek pass (for deliveries on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays). Alternatively, you can pay $14.99 for an anytime pass.
There is no commitment, and you can cancel at any time. You can also pay monthly, every six months, or annually.
Alternative Grocery Delivery Apps
The Voilà Sobeys app has become very popular in Canada in the last few years since its launch, but it’s not the only grocery delivery app.
Here are some of the other popular apps and how they compare.
Voilà vs PC Express
PC Express is one of the most popular grocery delivery services, and you can use this to get Loblaws products delivered to your home.
Like Voilà, enter your postcode on the website to see if you can get the service. A few Loblaws stores do not offer a delivery service.
Choose same-day delivery or request delivery up to 13 days later. You can also get PC Optimum points when you shop here the same way as if you were shopping in the store.
Voilà vs Instacart
Instacart is not a grocery chain but a delivery company that partners with grocery stores like Walmart, Costco, Metro, and more, so it’s different from Voilà.
It is a very popular shopping option and one of the most well-known shopping apps in Canada. It also operates everywhere, apart from Quebec.
There is also a small delivery fee of $3.99, making it a useful choice for smaller shops. You can also get deliveries in as little as two hours after making your order.
Voilà vs Metro
Metro is a grocery chain that began in Quebec. It has now expanded into Ontario, but it still primarily serves Quebec.
The fee for same-day delivery is $8. It can deliver your items within 2 hours with Express Delivery for $13.99. Delivery options vary from one day to 13 days. It is not the cheapest service, but it is a good option if you like shopping at Metro.
Other Delivery Apps
There are several other apps you can choose from when shopping for groceries in Canada.
- Amazon’s Whole Foods is one of the most well-known, but it does not have a great selection of items and is not a good choice for perishables. One benefit is that it offers free delivery with Amazon Prime.
- Grocery Gateway by Longos is limited to Toronto. It offers two-hour delivery windows from one to seven days, and the delivery fee starts at $7.99.
- Costco has its own delivery service, but the options are fairly limited, and it does not offer perishables. You can also order via Costco using Instacart, which is usually a better option.
- Save On Foods is only available in Western Canada. The delivery fee varies by time slot, and you can order from one to 12 days.
Pros and Cons of Voilà Delivery
If you’re considering using Voilà, here are some of the main advantages and disadvantages of using the service.
Pros of Voilà by Sobeys
Voilà by Sobeys reviews are mainly positive. For starters, Voilà is very easy to use. The whole format makes shopping online easy. Categories are displayed with sale items at the top, making it easy to save money. You can easily add and see your favourites to save time.
The Price Comparison feature is great, so you can find the cheapest product based on quantity. The search bar also makes it quick and easy to find what you want.
The ability to choose your delivery time before you order is likewise a useful feature. The robotic warehouse is also a plus as it makes for an efficient and quick process.
The website is very fast, with quick loading times. Some shopping sites can be slow because of the heavy use of images, but Voilà works well. It also looks good and is a pleasure to use. The app is likewise easy to use if you prefer doing everything on your phone.
Adding items to your order is easy. If you have forgotten something, you have until 7 pm the day before the delivery to add it. This is a useful feature, and your delivery time is not affected when you add new things.
Voilà is also a good way to collect Scene+ points while you shop. You can also connect your Airmiles card to earn points, and discounts are available, like the chance to save $15 on your first order.
Cons of Voilà by Sobeys
There are not many faults with Voilà. There are cheaper delivery apps in terms of the delivery cost, which might be an issue for you, but there are more expensive services too.
Voilà is perhaps not ideal if you just want a couple of items. It’s more of an app for your weekly shop because of the minimum order of $35. However, other apps have higher minimum orders.
As Voilà is also not available everywhere yet, it’s only an option if you live in one of the areas where it is currently operating.
FAQs
Got any questions about using Voilà? Read on for answers:
While Voilà states that tipping is not expected, you are welcome to tip your driver if you want to reward exceptional service.
Voilà is owned by Sobeys, which is Canada’s second-largest supermarket chain. It has over 1,500 stores across the country and has a presence in all provinces.
While Sobeys has gift cards, these are not currently available for people shopping using the Voilà service. However, there are other special offers and discounts to look out for. Check here for the stores where you can use Sobeys gift cards.
The delivery fee at Voilà varies depending on the time slot of your delivery. Instacart, on the other hand, only charges $3.99. However, the prices for products are similar.
Conclusion
While Voilà faces stiff competition and is by no means the only grocery delivery app, it has quickly established itself as one of the best. Its easy-to-use interface speeds up the shopping experience, making it easy and convenient to order the groceries you need and get them delivered at a time that suits you.
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