A look at Canada's grocery pickup, delivery options

Grant Bone, Department Manager for Loblaw's 'Click and Collect' gathers a customer's order at one of the grocery chain's outlets in Toronto on June 16, 2016. (Chris Yo / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

TORONTO -- The Canadian grocery sector has long been considered a bit of a laggard compared to the U.S. when it comes to e-commerce and delivery services. That could change with Amazon's announcement it plans to buy Whole Foods.

Here's a look at what some Canadian grocers offer to time-strapped shoppers:

Grocery Gateway: Established in 1997, Grocery Gateway provides home delivery within 90 minutes. The service, operated by Ontario supermarket chain Longo's, is available in the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, Guelph and the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

Loblaw: In the fall of 2014, Loblaw launched its click-and-collect program, where customers order their groceries online and collect them at a designated store. As of February, the program was available at about 100 locations. The company is mulling the possibility of introducing home delivery.

Metro: Metro, which has stores in Ontario and Quebec, launched a similar service last October at three locations in Montreal. The grocer has said it plans to expand it as demand increases.

Empire: The parent company of several grocery store chains offers online shopping with either delivery, in-store pickup or both at several IGA locations.

Walmart: The discount retailer offers a limited online grocery shopping service with an in-store pickup option in Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and the Greater Toronto Area. It also provides delivery to three condos in Toronto.