Internet Grocery Shopping Slowly Gaining Ground

bakreule writes "Online grocery shopping, once the laughing stock of the internet, has quietly started gaining ground. It seemed that the idea had been killed shortly after the bust as being just another bomb. The article has some good interviews and details to show how this industry is developing and whether or not this surprising growth can continue. I'm interested in seeing how grocery product advertising will be affected in this highly competitive industry."

Comments

Do it at night.

[corporate_ai]

While this trend may catch on in ultra-urban settings like NYC (where even McDonalds delivers), I can't see it making its way to mainstream America.

For one thing, who wants to pay for delivery? Second, my biggest gripe with grocery shopping was the crowds, which is why I love 24 hour grocery stores... I simply go at midnight.

Re:Yeah, I'll pick you some NICE tomatoes ;-)

[phoenixTMW]

The thing is, these places WANT to keep your business. Selling you the oldest crap they can get away with selling doesn't work so well for customer retention.

I miss WebVan

[AKAImBatman]

When WebVan was around, they were *extremely* popular. So popular, that everyone would wave at the delivery guy as he drove by. I myself was an extremely happy customer as it saved me from having to carry a lot of groceries home. (I didn't have a car at the time.)

I think that WebVan's problem had less to do with a poor business model, and everything to do with scaling the business way too fast. They burned through a tremendous amount of cash every time they entered a new market. As a result, they were left with very little operating funds. They always figured that they'd be able to get more funding. Unfortunately, you can always count on VC investors to go to extremes. They over funded during the boom, and they simply wouldn't fund at all during the bust.

Blind and visually impaired

[alphax45]

My g/f is visually impaired and has many friends that are visually impaired and blind. Because they cannot drive it is often hard for them to get all the groceries they need. Services like this are really helping that segment of the population. They all love it and think it's one of the greatest things ever. It is truely amazing how much you learn (as a fully sighted person) when you interact with people that do not have the luxuary of full sight. Services like these are just another thing that makes their lives much eaiser. I hope they stay around for that fact alone.

Re:Online food

[I am Kobayashi]

I live in Chicago, and it is a pain to lug groceries around the city and then up the elevators to my apartment. The 10 dollar fee or whatever peapod charges is HIGHLY worth it.

Plus the arguments about not leaving the house or obesity are just erroneous. Groceries are healthier than ordering pizza (which is a possibility in pretty much any urban/suburban setting), and for those of us with busy lifestyles, getting your groceries in a two-hour window on a Saturday or Sunday morning while you having your morning coffee and catching up on the news or whatever isn't exactly precluding you from going outdoors :P

I -am- the parent you're talking about

[mccalli]

...and I use online ordering precisely to avoid the hassle you're describing.OI have a two and a half-year old daughter and a seven month old son, and it is a living hell to take them round.

First off, they fall asleep on the way there. Marvellous. So now you have to wake them up before you can get out of the car - that really cheers them up, as you can imagine.

Next up, the trolley has to be perfection. Yesterday's favourite is today's screaming fit, so you must make sure Her Majesty will deign to actually sit in the bloody thing (the son currently gets no say...). You can force the issue, but your ears will suffer.

You then get the fun of said two year old reaching out to every shelf and grabbing what she wants. If you put it back, she grabs it again or screams. Meanwhile my son is just screaming anyway - no apparent reason, unless it's the same one I feel like screaming about as well.

Finally, we get people such as yourself. We know we're pissing you off. We just don't get a choice about it. Some people respond graciously, others stare as if you're utter scum.

Nope, it's online shopping from the parents' point of view too as far as I'm concerned. Chuck 'em a fiver, and let the delivery people handle it all. It's a good deal for both me and you, it would seem.

Cheers,
Ian

Re:I -am- the parent you're talking about

[Suidae]

As a parent of 5 I understand what you are talking about, and I can also say that you really ought to train that bratty behaviour outta yer kid. No offense, but bad behaviour from a kid is usually not the kids fault.

It is amusing to me to see the different reactions people have to a bratty kid though. People at Wal-mart either just ignore you or are sympathetic. Now, try that at the local hippy foods store, Whole Foods or Wild Oats or whatever. People stare and roll their eyes like you have horns sprouting from your forehead.

Re:It's already taken ground in England

[herrison]

And that five quid for delivery? You get it back by not being tempted to pick stuff up that you hadn't planned on.

Re:Online food

[nolife]

I know your $10-15 mentioned was only an example but grocery shopping for very specific items is a lot of work. You are talking at least two hours from starting with the cart until you are at their house, add the time to process orders, get back to the grocery store blah blah. If the grocery store manages the process, they can supply the car painted with their advertisments, push other products and services, use existing employees to load up the carts etc.. Imagine a third party delivering pizza hut pizza for $1-2. It would not be profitable unless you value add something else.

It is a good idea but a grocery store will always have an economic advantage to any third party for this service.