Wal-Mart Tests Online Grocery Delivery

fysdt writes "The world's biggest retailer had been rumored to be considering dipping its toe into online grocery delivery for the past few years. The 'Walmart To Go' test allows customers to visit Walmart.com to order groceries and consumables found in a Walmart store and have them delivered to their homes, the spokesman said. Products include fresh produce, meat and seafood, frozen, bakery, baby, over-the-counter pharmacy, household supplies and health and beauty items."

Comments

Hello?

[Anonymous Coward]

Please send me two dozen chicks in tight shorts.

Re:Hello?

[Anonymous Coward]

If those chicks would be anything like the ones posted here, I don't want them.

Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[Anonymous Coward]

We've had that for at least 6 years now in New Zealand. Very useful, esp. when you get the discounted delivery offers. http://shop.countdown.co.nz/

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[linatux]

Think it's been around 12 years - before Y2K anyway

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[nedlohs]

But they aren't Walmart

Peapod has been doing groceries over the internet in the US for over 20 years, but they also aren't Walmart.

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[flimflammer]

And we've had it for at least as long here in the states, likely longer. It's not like this is particularly new even here. All this is saying is Walmart is trying it out.

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[Anonymous Coward]

Brazil too: http://www.paodeacucar.com.br/

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[RicktheBrick]

If one is at home most of the time than delivery would work. When I order something online and get it delivered, I can check its progress online. It tells me what day it will be delivered but not what time so I feel like a prisoner in my home until the product is delivered. I would much prefer a pick up point where I could go after an email was sent telling me it was there. The same goes for groceries, I would prefer to shop online and than go to the store and pickup my order. It would be nice if one could drive up to a covered area and see a large door which opens up after one pays for the items. One would than walk into the area and transfer the goods to one's vehicle. This would be especially nice when one needs a few non grocery items. Now one has to search the store and walk about a quarter of a mile to get them too. It would be a time saver for everyone and could be economical since it would mean less employees and less thievery. It would also mean a much smaller store and parking lot. When the products are delivered to the pickup area automatically by conveyor belts it would mean a lot less employees.

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[MoonBuggy]

Grocery delivery tends to operate differently from normal online shopping. Because the deliveries are short distance and handled by the same company that are actually selling the products, it's much more like a personal courier service - they tend to offer one-hour timeslots in which the delivery will arrive. Your collection idea would work too, but I can't imagine it taking less than 30 minutes total even with a fairly short round trip; half an hour driving to the store, loading the bags, and driving home again doesn't sound any more convenient than a maximum of an hour (since they might well come before the end of the timeslot) sitting at home doing whatever I'd be doing anyway.

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[Nutria]

I would much prefer a pick up point where I could go after an email was sent telling me it was there.

That (except for the email) is how grocery stores worked 100 years ago

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[Patch86]

ASDA has been doing home delivery in the UK for ages- and they ARE Walmart.

So have all the other big grocers, incidentally. This seems like non news.

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[drsquare]

If you've gone all the way to the store, you may as well actually go and get the stuff yourself, so you know what you're getting. Otherwise surely they've just give you the stuff closest to its expiry date.

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[Dr_Terminus]

They have this here in France - order online and stop at the store to pick it up. Since the store itself does pickup only, prices are actually pretty competitive with regular grocery stores, as there is no need to stock, clean and organize aisles for customers. The service is extremely useful for families with young children - it lets them avoid an hour in a regular grocery store with a screaming, cranky kid.

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't forget the dot bomb - Webvan.

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[berberine]

Yes, grocery delivery has been around for a long time in the USA. The problem is that it's only in major cities. I have lived in 6 different cities in my lifetime and none of them currently have any grocery delivery service and never have. These cities range from 15,000 to 250,000 people. Peapod never delivered to any city that I lived in. I just did a search and Peapod still doesn't deliver in any of the cities I've lived in.

The reason this is a big deal is because there is a Wal-Mart in nearly every city in the USA, not just major or large cities. If Wal-Mart sees delivery as viable, then it will take off across the USA. Where I currently live, there are many elderly people who would probably love such a service. We have no public transportation, so they must either drive themselves or, if they can't drive, they have to rely on others to get them to the grocery store.

I think even Americans forget how large the United States is sometimes. Delivery services like Peapod do not have the resources to be everywhere. Wal-Mart does. That's why this is a big deal.

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[CharlyFoxtrot]

We've got stores in Belgium that do both delivery and pickup services. They are part of the Delhaize group, active in the US under the name Food Lion. I don't know if they offer the same services there though.

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[nedlohs]

I said they aren't Walmart that was supposed to indicate that Walmart is different and hence comparing it with some random other online grocery service is just silly.

http://shop.countdown.co.nz/ doesn't deliver to everywhere in NZ either so the "took them long enough" snipe is just stupid. Though there are more people in the service area of say Fresh Direct then there are people in New Zealand...

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[gnapster]

This is more insightful than the score would leave one to believe. (Mod parent up.)

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[Compaqt]

Amazon online shopping -> Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud

Walmart online shopping -> ?? Walmart Elastic Band Compute Cloud?

Re:Yawn, it's taken them long enough...

[Anonymous Coward]

Awesome for you. However here in Oklahoma City Metro (pop 1.2 million, iPhones 2.8 million) we don't have grocery delivery but we may have an open carry gun law soon. If we are going to allow people to openly carry firearms, I really wish I could have my groceries delivered.

The sad thing is they are trying this in San Jose which probably doesn't have the same insane and creepily intimate love affair with WalMart that Oklahoma City does. This test will probably fail and thus a huge opportunity will be lost because they chose to test in a market whose demographics do not even begin to resemble the average WalMart customer.

we tried this like 10 years ago

[Anonymous Coward]

Failed miserably

what?

[Anonymous Coward]

and miss out on the ambiance?

Re:what?

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Just drop http://peopleofwalmart.com/?feed=rss2 into your RSS client of choice and get the ambiance delivered online!

Re:what?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, given their, uh, demographic, you'd think they would've done this years ago.

Offtopic question, but are those people you always see in Wal-mart on the power chairs really disabled, or just fat & lazy? You don't want to think bad of anyone with a legitimate medical condition, but sometime I've just got to wonder...

Re:what?

[clang_jangle]

Offtopic question, but are those people you always see in Wal-mart on the power chairs really disabled, or just fat & lazy?

Does it matter? If they're not "disabled" now, they soon will be. People who eat themselves into disability are becoming extremely common in the US.

Re:what?

[hairyfeet]

COPD. I have a friend that worked the security at one of the Supercenters and asked him that very same question. He said because he has had to call out medical help for them in the past he has found many to be COPD, and the massive amounts of steroids they give them causing them to retain weight and fluids like mad.

If you look at a shot of Jerry Lewis from a few years ago when he was being pumped full of steroids? Same look. I have seen relatives with COPD and it really is a shitty disease. A lot of construction and factory workers end up with it after they retire, I wonder if it is all the plastic they breathe in.

As for TFA, while I hate walking into Wally World as much as the next guy (and I usually end up in the local Supercenter at least twice a week, between picking up items for my mom or giving a ride to an elderly customer who uses them for his prescriptions and shopping, a nice old guy who no longer owns a vehicle) I just don't see how it would work. I mean sure for canned goods one is as good as another, but who would want to get their produce, fruit, vegetables, and meats picked by somebody else who most likely is being paid shit and thus really doesn't care? gross.

Re:what?

[clang_jangle]

A lot of construction and factory workers end up with it after they retire, I wonder if it is all the plastic they breathe in.

Smoking is actually the most common cause, but working in a dirty industrial environment could also contribute. A lot of the Fatboi Skooter crowd are suffering from diseases relating to decades of food abuse and zero exercise though. Type 2 diabetes, congestive heart failure, etc. Many of them wound up that way at least in part because of chronic pain issues and greedy, incompetent doctors, as well as their own irresponsibility. From what I've seen the worst possible thing for anyone's health is to not be able to tolerate pain or delayed gratification. People who have impulse control problems and who can't stand pain always seem to be the ones who end up on a scooter. Personally, I have a great deal of chronic pain (rheumatoid arthritis plus an old spinal injury). I take it as a sign I'd better stay busy so it doesn't keep me down. When that's no longer sufficient, I guess it'll be time to start the pain meds.

Re:what?

[hairyfeet]

I'd say the "food abuse" as you call it can squarely be laid at the politicians doorstep. The average for disability or social security in my area is $700 a month, that's it. if they are lucky maybe $50 in food stamps. Go into your average Walmart and see what the poor are putting into their carts. it is the "tube of hamburger" and potatoes, along with white bread and sodas. They simply can't afford nutritious food thanks to the government taking food energy AND housing out of the cost of living adjustments. Then add in the kickback and payoffs (excuse me subsidies) to the corn growers making HFCS so damned cheap they practically give the stuff away, and what do you expect?

As for pain, sadly that is another one you can lay at the feet of government, in that case the FBI and DEA. I have seen people die in agony simply because the doctor was too afraid to write anything stronger than a Tylenol (which BTW docs call "instant killer, just add alcohol" for how dangerous it is) thanks to the red scare we have in this country over drugs.

I too have arthritis along with a back injury (you'd be amazed what face planting at 65MPH + off a bike will do to a human body) but I was lucky enough to get a pain management specialist who wasn't afraid of the DEA. I'm been on opiate therapy for over 20 years now with NO major side effects. I live in a second floor apt, love to take long walks through town (when we aren't getting pounded like now) help my neighbors with their groceries, and run my little shop, all thanks to a doctor not being afraid to care for his patients. I'll admit I'm probably 60 pounds over, but that is thanks to video games and a GF that makes excellent southern cooking.

So while I am a big proponent of personal responsibility I am also not blind to what goes on around me. While most poor folks don't want to eat slop, when your choices are that are starve you take what you can get. Hell even the cigarettes I wonder how much is the pure chemical slop they let them pour into the things. My grandfather smoked nearly 2 packs a day and died of old age, but he rolled his own from tobacco he got at a co-op that was just leaves chopped up.

I think the next thing that will bite us in the ass will be GMOs and diet garbage, as you are seeing more and more allergies in people that have never had any before, and the diet garbage was rammed through by Rumsfeld in the early 80s without hardly any oversight (it was banned under Carter, and Rumsfeld had a BIG stake in Nutrasweet) and when you add in the plastics that are even detectable in the blood of newborns now, it is no wonder so many are in ill health. Most of the poor can only afford the most horrible processed slop imaginable, and with the economy tanking it'll only get worse.

Re:what?

[clang_jangle]

I'm inclined to agree with you on most of your points above, except one: I've been dirt poor before, and I ate less quantity of higher quality food. It isn't hard, really. Produce, brown rice, dried beans, even whole grain flours -- all very cheap compared to all but the cheapest convenience foods. The real trouble with the American diet today is that people are addicted to quantity, convenience, and refined carbs. I bake a loaf of whole grain bread twice a week, and it costs less than a loaf of cheap white bread and is far more nutritious. Chop up three potatoes, two carrots, and a parsnip and saute with garlic and green onions in a little butter, throw in whatever else you have in the fridge, season to taste, add a liter of water and simmer for a couple of hours -- dirt cheap, and better than any soup you'll find in a restaurant. How hard is that? We're talking 10-15 minutes of prep time and stirring every 20 minutes or so. People act like cooking is some lost, arcane knowledge, but just 40 years ago instant food and fast food wasn't even on most family's radar. The idea that "I can't cook, I have to work" is a terribly popular false dichotomy. I know these are stressful times, but cooking and caring for your health is not something many of us can afford to do without for long.

Thanks for sharing your pain med experience -- I've avoided them for years now, mostly because I always assumed that once I resort to opiates it's the beginning of the end for me. It's hard though, especially nights and mornings. Natural remedies like alfalfa tabs, glucosamine, CMO, and ginger tea have all helped a bit, but getting enough rest is still damned near impossible most nights. One of these days I may see a doctor again...

Re:what?

[hoppo]

I hate the claim that people "can't afford nutritious food." That is a load of bunk. People are too lazy to buy raw ingredients. Steaks and roasts are expensive. Boneless, skinless chicken breast is expensive. Bread is expensive. Things that are less expensive:

1. Whole chickens
2. Cuts of meat that you can butcher yourself.
3. Flour, salt, and yeast.

The problem is, few know how to be frugal anymore, because it has been so long since we as a society have had to do without things that our notion of "poor" would make earlier generations fall on the floor laughing. Tell someone that you butcher your own meat, cut up a whole fryer and save the bones for stock, make your own bread, etc., and that person will look at you like you just grew a second head.

(agree with you on most everything else though)

Re:what?

[ChromeAeonium]

I think the next thing that will bite us in the ass will be GMOs and diet garbage,

Ah man, I was about to mod you up until that part. I'm the AC three posts up, posted like so I could still mod. I've got to say, you're wrong on that one. I've made GMO plants, it's not like what you see in the popular media. Yes Monsanto is a jackass, yes Archer Daniels Midland and their HFCS subsidies are contributing to a crap load of health problems, yes it's nuts that we subsidize that stuff, and no I don't endorse either, but that has nothing to do with genetic modifications. Solid scientific literature that has gained any sort of scientific acceptance that claims to have found that GE crops are any worse than the non-GE ones is pretty sparse, which is a polite way of saying that there's no evidence whatsoever to indicate that GMO crops are unhealthy, a few poor crank studies aside (and lets face it, there are also reports out there claiming the homeopathy works...a few discredited papers does not a strong case make).

Way too many people assume food comes from a box or a can or a bag, assume that fresh produce is merely a novelty, have no interest in what they're putting into their bodies, don't want to do their own cooking, and those are problems (and I'm as guilty as anyone sometimes), and there are tons of other problems out there with nutrition in this country, but moving a few molecules around in a lab isn't one of them. Maybe things would be better if more people grew their own vegetables or signed up of CSAs or whatever. But don't blame any of the stuff on us. If anything, if people would accept genetic engineering, maybe all the projects that improve nutrient dense horticultural crops (fruits & veges) that never make it past the BS regulatory hurdles could finally get approved and get out there and maybe help things.

Re:what?

[hairyfeet]

The problem with those things is they require serious prep work, and if you are a single mom or a working poor couple, where both have to work 8+ hours a day in some back breaking job? You spend the day on your feet sling burgers at the Wendy's? you are simply too damned tired to do anything that requires long term prep work. Hell I'd probably be eating like the poor simply because everyone has a "ZOMG! My PC is broked I've gots to has it NOW!" attitude, but lucky for me my GF is a great little cook and will just drag me away from the workbench when it is supper time.

But anyone who has had to work one of those shit jobs knows it can suck the life out of you, especially when there are kids, clothes that need washing, housework, etc that are ALL waiting on you to get home. Its no wonder more and more simply use the PC/console/TV as a babysitter, they simply don't have the energy!

As for opiate therapy? I've been on it since I was 19 and I'm 43 now with NO major side effects. As long as one eats right and exercises opiate therapy is one of the safest treatments for chronic pain bar none. I don't feel drugged (it actually doesn't feel like anything, except I am not in constant pain anymore) or lethargic, not had to raise my dose (in fact I was able to cut down once I had been on the meds for awhile) and still do everything I loved to do before the accident, even going to amusement parks and riding the crazy stuff. With opiate therapy I just get to wake up in the morning and not hurt, and be able to work all day without feeling like I was hit by a truck the next day. The only thing you have to watch out for is really fattening foods, as you do burn less calories thanks to the slower metabolism, but just knowing when to walk away from the pizza takes care of that.

So if you're suffering with pain every single day you should really talk to your doctor about a pain management specialist. There are tons of different ways to treat pain now, from opiate therapy to blocks to time released medications. I would also point out the increased stress from being in constant pain isn't good for your health either, as it lowers your immune system and weakens the body's defenses. As part of my treatment I get a full blood workup and the doc says I frankly have better bloodwork than him, whereas before the stress was really playing havoc with my immune system. So go talk to your doc, you don't have to be a drugged out zombie to be pain free anymore, I'm living proof of that.

Re:what?

[clang_jangle]

Thank you so much for that, I am definitely going to look into it. If I can have a break from the pain without feeling drugged out that would truly be a godsend!

BTW, I do admire you for taking the time to share this information with me after I was such a smartass to you in previos discussions. Sorry 'bout that!

Re:what?

[clang_jangle]

I hate the claim that people "can't afford nutritious food." That is a load of bunk. People are too lazy to buy raw ingredients.

Well it's an easily observable fact that while so many people "don't have time to cook", there's hardly one of them who doesn't have time for a couple or six hours of television every night.

Re:what?

[hairyfeet]

Hey this is /. and if you aren't here for a good argument and some abuse you should GTFO. I have been called everything but human here so a little smartass doesn't bother me none, no problem.

But seriously talk to your doc and get a pain management specialist. i tried to go it alone after the accident just like you, trying to treat it with over the counter aids, and by the end I nearly ended up suicidal. The pain got so bad I would even be in pain when I dreamed and I couldn't remember what it was like not to feel pain. Compare that to now where I just got done lugging a 120 pound plus server up to my loft to strip and have nothing but a little muscle pain. I spend summer vacation with my GF's family up in Branson getting drug all over hell's half acre, riding the rides and walking miles to see all the attractions, I carry monitors and drag boxes and above all....NO PAIN...none.

Don't get me wrong if I stub my toe it still hurts like hell, and if I really push it I'll have that sore aching muscles just like any other guy, but that deep down bone pain, you know, that kind that sets up in your back and shoulders and makes you want to cry its so intense? That is pretty much gone, the only twinges I get of it is if I sit on my FPS too long I'll get neck stiff, and this is from someone who had more than 70% of his joints affected by arthritis.

Between NSAID treatment to lower the inflammation along with opiate therapy (I'm on MS Contin if you want to know the name to ask your doc, it is a slow time release morphine) I can live like a normal person again. And because it is time released there is never a 'rush" or feeling drugged, in fact according to my specialist if you are in chronic pain you will not get high from opiate therapy in reasonable doses as it will simply block the pain receptors and not affect the pleasure centers, and as someone who loves my GF deeply and loves having sex this is definitely a BIG plus!

So don't worry about the snarky, go talk to your doc and get a pain specialist ASAP. And if the first one is afraid of the DEA? Find another one. I got lucky on my second try and found one that is literally writing the book on pain management as we speak, and as he said to me "in this day and age there is NO reason for a person to suffer chronic pain anymore. The new treatments won't drug or zombie them, just let them live the same life everyone else leads, pain free" and I'm living proof of that. I play bass with my band on the weekends, work in my shop during the week, and drive 300+ miles round trip to stay up with my GF's family twice a month, with NO drugged out zombie side effects. As I said you just need to watch your diet, stay away from having too much high fats, as your metabolism will slow down, that's it.

So I've been where you are, and I only wish I'd known about treatment sooner. Talk to your doc and the days of suffering will soon be over. Believe me it WILL change your life!

produce and meats? no thanks

[Anonymous Coward]

I would never buy produce or meat without looking at it first. And there's no way they'd take a picture of each piece.

Re:produce and meats? no thanks

[Phoghat]

When I lived in NY City, I used Fresh Direct . The prices were just about the same as neighborhood supermarkets, there was much bigger variety ( many items were not available locally) and the meats were of the highest quality and cut exactly to my specifications.

Re:produce and meats? no thanks

[David Gerard]

In the UK, they operate on the basis that you can return anything you get delivered for any reason or none.

Re:produce and meats? no thanks

[Yakasha]

In the UK, they operate on the basis that you can return anything you get delivered for any reason or none.

Ya, my kid tried to return a banana.

Now my computer has creepy-crawlies all over it.

Asda have been doing this for years

[Gordonjcp]

... and of course Asda is the UK version of Walmart.

Has anyone actually set foot inside an Asda store in the past couple of years? I'm never sure if the big anonymous boxes are actually supermarkets, or just a delivery depot.

Re:Asda have been doing this for years

[Anonymous Coward]

As has Tesco and Sainsbury. Kinda funny that the country of drive through everything has such poor options for local delivery, whereas the UK where everything is near enough walking distance offers it. I tried persuading my local Publix manager (in FL), and he couldn't accept there'd be a market for it!

Re:Asda have been doing this for years

[Jafafa Hots]

Actually it makes sense that the country with drive through everything doesnt have it and the country with everything in walking distance (though that's not really true) does.

Delivery costs. Hard to make a buck delivering apples to someone at a competitive price when you have to drive 20 miles distance between there and the NEXT delivery address.

Re:Asda have been doing this for years

[nedlohs]

Publix did PublixDirect back in 2001, failed miserably (in FL) and they shut it down in 2003 because there wasn't a market for it.

Re:Asda have been doing this for years

[Gordonjcp]

Well, it probably comes down to the vehicles used, too. Fuel in the UK is - in practical terms - about half the price of the US. Yes, the pump price is higher, but most people drive much more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Asda deliver their stuff in vans about the same size as mine (well, one size up, not a lot bigger) that get about 40mpg from powerful, clean, efficient turbodiesel engines. In the US they'd probably use something with a 9-litre V8 producing about 70bhp and getting 9mpg at 40mph.

Re:Asda have been doing this for years

[Anonymous Coward]

... and of course Asda is the UK version of Walmart.

Has anyone actually set foot inside an Asda store in the past couple of years? I'm never sure if the big anonymous boxes are actually supermarkets, or just a delivery depot.

Asda IS Wal-Mart

Re:Asda have been doing this for years

[duguk]

Well, it probably comes down to the vehicles used, too. Fuel in the UK is - in practical terms - about half the price of the US. Yes, the pump price is higher, but most people drive much more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Asda deliver their stuff in vans about the same size as mine (well, one size up, not a lot bigger) that get about 40mpg from powerful, clean, efficient turbodiesel engines. In the US they'd probably use something with a 9-litre V8 producing about 70bhp and getting 9mpg at 40mph.

The actual price of petrol is about four times what it is in the UK, so I blame distance, not petrol or fuel efficiency.

At least around here, Asda and most supermarkets only deliver in about a 20 mile radius.

Re:Asda have been doing this for years

[gnapster]

Unleaded fuel costs twice as much in the UK as it does in the US. I have a hard time believing that British delivery trucks are that much more efficient than their new world counterparts. Scale is certainly the issue, and so the reason this is newsworthy is that Wal-Mart is the first American company that has the scale to deal with the sprawl in the States at a national level.

Re:Asda have been doing this for years

[IhateMonkeys]

Publix is test marketing the whole "place your order online and pick up at the store" concept right now.
I believe it is only in 2 or 3 test stores in the Tampa market. But it is closer to what you are looking for. I have no idea how successful the test has been.

Re:Asda have been doing this for years

[Anonymous Coward]

I, for one, would like some of the products sold by ASDA to be available in retail stores at Walmart, like the cheap Irish stew for 60p when I went to Uni in England.

Re:Asda have been doing this for years

[Gordonjcp]

I have a hard time believing that British delivery trucks are that much more efficient than their new world counterparts.

Well, what kind of fuel consumption figures do you get from a normal medium-size panel van?

Re:Asda have been doing this for years

[gnapster]

Well, I must confess that I do not have any practical experience in these things. The largest thing I have ever driven on a regular basis is a large minivan, which got 18 mpg. But that is certainly not the kind of thing that Wal-Mart would use for delivering food. I said I had a hard time believing it, but I don't have data. It could be that trucks in the US really do only get 9 miles to the gallon. That seems paltry, but maybe its the truth.

My point, though, was that scale is probably a bigger obstacle than fuel costs. Someone else here mentioned that Publix, a grocery store chain based in Florida, had a food-delivery experiment which failed because there was not a demand for it. Wal-Mart is nothing if not a logistics/operations powerhouse, and I trust that if Americans want it bad enough, Wal-Mart can make it happen.

I think, however, that demand for these services is probably correlated with reliance on public transportation. Most of my grocery-delivery-shopping British friends are those who do not own a vehicle.

Re:Asda have been doing this for years

[Gordonjcp]

The largest thing I have ever driven on a regular basis is a large minivan, which got 18 mpg.

Okay, and I'm guessing that's US gallons which are 3.8 litres making the figure seem artificially low ;-)

In town I get about 40mpg from my van, which drops to about 35mpg when the back is full; this corresponds to about 34 and 30 mpUSg respectively. On the motorway I get up to about 47mpUKg, equivalent to about 40mpUSg. This is from a 2.2 litre turbodiesel engine, which will let it cruise comfortably in 6th at around 2200rpm with not much more than tyre rumble in the cabin...

I object to delivery charges...

[Anonymous Coward]

I've ordered from several UK groceries stores. They all have a minimum order fee and charge for a named-day delivery. You do get free delivery for orders over £50 ($82) but I ask myself "If my pizza or chinese place can deliver COOKED food for free (minimum order £10 ($16)), why can't my online supermarket deliver food for free? It's not like they have to cook it or anything, just bag it and load it on a refrigerated van."

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[larry bagina]

The restaurants aren't delivering it for free. The price includes the cost of cooking, delivering, etc.

Compare the price of a "free delivery" pizza to the price of raw pizza ingredients and delivery from the grocery store.

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[Ron Bennett]

Two major reasons for supermarkets charging a fee ...

1. The profit margin is presumably far lower than a food place.

2. The delivery people likely are regular hourly paid employees and aren't expected to be tipped; use company vehicles instead of their own.

Ron

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[Anonymous Coward]

Odd my pizza shop charges same price for deliver or pick-up...

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[The End Of Days]

That just means take-out is a windfall for them.

Businesses that eat their costs don't stay businesses for long. I know this isn't the more pro-business forum on the Internet but really?

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[hedwards]

Indeed. Albertson's has an interesting idea going, they've got basically three tiers of service, do it yourself, pickup and delivery. You pay a bit to have the groceries waiting for you when you stop by, but the cost of it can be a deal if you're in a situation of having to pay for daycare for an additional hour.

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[nurb432]

Around here a 80 dollar grocery bill isn't much food.

Some of the higher end specialty groceries have done this for decades. It has worked for them and made them 'special'.

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[nedlohs]

Because no business has ever subsidised one product line with revenue from another. Never in all of history. A casino has never eaten the cost of a room (given free must be below what it costs to have a maid clean it) because they'll make up the loss on that product with the additional profits on another product like the gambling tables.

Which of course isn't applicable to the take-out/delivery case, but then again you spoke about general businesses. Plus of course take-out has some costs that delivery does not - you need a store front of some sort that isn't necessary if you did only delivery. You need a parking spot for the customers, some security precautions since it's easier to be robbed when you let people in to pay and pick up their stuff.

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[The End Of Days]

I know pedantry abounds around here, but did you picture yourself striking me down by amplifying my point with complicated examples? Yes, a general statement doesn't cover all nuances, but you didn't rebut me as your sarcastic tone seems to indicate you believe you did.

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[nedlohs]

I'm not sure comping a room because you'll make more money on the tables is complicated, but ok...

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[Locke2005]

Sure, Domino's claims delivery is free. But have you noticed that if you pick the pizza up yourself, it's about half the price? They don't charge for delivery, they just give a huge discount for non-delivery. I assure you, you do pay for the cost of delivery, one way or the other.

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[Locke2005]

Domino's charges about half as much if you pick up the pizza yourself, yet still claims delivery is free...

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[parens]

Domino's delivery isn't free. It's quite clearly labeled as "$2 Delivery Charge".

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[queazocotal]

I'm living off about that much per month in the UK, delivered.
And not that unhealthily.
Pick the right ingredients, with an eye to cost, proper use of a freezer, ...

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[duguk]

Domino's charges about half as much if you pick up the pizza yourself, yet still claims delivery is free...

Is this only if you go in the store? On their website, delivery and collection is the same price.

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[nurb432]

A lot depends on how often you shop :).. We shop every couple of weeks and it runs about 100.

Sure we *could* reduce it, but we are pretty average folk so i can safely say that around here its an average shopping bill, so the delivery minimum order issue, isnt.

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[VJ42]

Domino's charges about half as much if you pick up the pizza yourself, yet still claims delivery is free...

Is this only if you go in the store? On their website, delivery and collection is the same price.

You get buy one get one free on collection, but not on delivery round here.

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[duguk]

Domino's charges about half as much if you pick up the pizza yourself, yet still claims delivery is free...

Is this only if you go in the store? On their website, delivery and collection is the same price.

You get buy one get one free on collection, but not on delivery round here.

Strange. In the UK the delivery and collection is the same price, but you get buy one get one free on Tuesday. Weird.

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[VJ42]

Domino's charges about half as much if you pick up the pizza yourself, yet still claims delivery is free...

Is this only if you go in the store? On their website, delivery and collection is the same price.

You get buy one get one free on collection, but not on delivery round here.

Strange. In the UK the delivery and collection is the same price, but you get buy one get one free on Tuesday. Weird.

I'm in the UK! Our local Dominoes seems to have a perpetual buy one get one free offer on (on collection); not just Tuesdays. It must be something they leave up to the individual Franchisees

Re:I object to delivery charges...

[duguk]

Domino's charges about half as much if you pick up the pizza yourself, yet still claims delivery is free...

Is this only if you go in the store? On their website, delivery and collection is the same price.

You get buy one get one free on collection, but not on delivery round here.

Strange. In the UK the delivery and collection is the same price, but you get buy one get one free on Tuesday. Weird.

I'm in the UK! Our local Dominoes seems to have a perpetual buy one get one free offer on (on collection); not just Tuesdays. It must be something they leave up to the individual Franchisees

You're right! They do advertise on their "Twofer Tuesdays", but I've found out they give out vouchers for the same, just telephoning and saying you have a voucher works... They don't even ever seem to want to see the voucher; but it seems no cheaper by collection. Thanks! =D

Speak the english please

[pushing-robot]

"...Tests Online Grocery Delivery"

"...into online grocery delivery"

What? Incredible! This changes everything! ...Oh, wait, it's just a poor sod who either doesn't know what "delivery" means or is unclear how adjectives work.

Re:Speak the english please

[Anonymous Coward]

What the hell are you on about?

health and beauty?

[Anonymous Coward]

Does that include anal lube? I may never need to leave the basement again!!!!

Re:health and beauty?

[Anonymous Coward]

In the UK Yes... http://groceries.asda.com/ and have a look ;)

Re:health and beauty?

[mindwhip]

meant to add go to...

Health and beauty -> pharmacy -> durex (brand)

Re:health and beauty?

[Anonymous Coward]

You can already order lube from Amazon.

I order it a few times per year.

No, I'm not gay.

Re:health and beauty?

[Locke2005]

Make the hands slide a lot faster, eh?

Not news... at least not in the UK...

[CJSpil]

... where most of the Supermarkets have had a home delivery service where you can order online for years.

I've used Tescos before and it works pretty well although I'm picky enough about fresh produce and meat that I'd rather visit the store for that.

For stocking up on tins, packets, cleaning products etc it was great when I didn't have a car but I tend to use it less now I can drive myself out to the store.

Re:Not news... at least not in the UK...

[queazocotal]

Indeed - I can order online from any of three supermarkets - Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys,

At the moment, I'm unable to drive, as health problems are making it difficult for me
to get my licence. This also means I'm on a severe budget.

Online delivery means I don't have to drag a couple of bags home on the bus every
day or three - it's great!

It also means that with the aid of my freezer, I can eat really quite cheaply indeed.
I base my orders around buy-one-get-one-free, or half-price offers, and am at the
moment shopping around monthly.

One of them even has an online API! http://www.techfortesco.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0

Being able to complete an order at leisure, and to reflect on each purchases value and
calories/... has greatly trimmed my grocery bill and waistline.

I'm in a small village - 6 miles from the nearest town of 40K - no 'fast food' places will deliver.

Re:Not news... at least not in the UK...

[CastrTroy]

We don't own a car either, but we live in Canada. Almost all the grocery stores off delivery, but I'm unaware of any that do the shopping for you. We go the grocery store to pick up all the heavy items with a longer shelf life about once a month, and we get them delivered. About $8, which is quite pricey, I guess, but when you consider we're getting about $300 worth of stuff it doesn't make much difference. All the fresh stuff we pick up weekly between 1 or 2 trips to the store. Getting by without a car is do-able if you're willing to make a few changes.

Re:Not news... at least not in the UK...

[MoonBuggy]

So you have to go to the store and do the shopping, but then they take it to your house? You don't just order online? Or have I totally missed what you were saying?

Seems like a strange premise, at least to me. Marginally useful for people such as yourself without a car, I guess, but you still have to get a bus to and from the place, which is hardly convenient even in cities with excellent public transport. Not lugging the bags back is a small mercy, I guess, but hardly making the best use of a delivery infrastructure. As someone else pointed out, one of the biggest advantages by far of grocery delivery is the website learning what you usually order, so the whole process is done in ten minutes.

Re:Not news... at least not in the UK...

[Anonymous Coward]

Despite not being Canadian, my local supermarket offers me the same option (I do the shopping, they deliver it to me).

Living in a dense urban environment I actually don't need to take a bus or drive my car to the supermarket: it's a five minutes walk. At least on this side of the city ("south zone", Rio de Janeiro - Brazil) you'd be hard pressed to find a place to live without a supermarket in walking distance. But while the supermarket is close enough to walk, it's actually very hard to walk carrying a lot of grocery bags. So I walk to the market, shop, walk back home and ten or fifteen minutes later someones come with my groceries. Really nice.

Maybe this doesn't make sense to you since American cities are usually less dense?

My local supermarket also offers Internet delivery (phone too) but it takes less time (from the decision to shop to the point where the groceries are already stored in my apartment) to walk there, shop and deliver.

Re:Not news... at least not in the UK...

[Mashiki]

Not really news in Canada either. There's either companies that do it for you, or the stores itself do it. Then again, you jump back 50 years and you could get everything delivered too. For the last year I've had milk delivered to my house once a week. The local dairy does it here, and it costs nothing. I'm glad to see my milk box is getting a use again.

Re:Not news... at least not in the UK...

[MoonBuggy]

I was thinking of it in terms of the less pedestrian-friendly US style city, as you correctly surmised, but back when I lived in London I still probably would've found such a service a little strange - if I needed a few things right then, I'd just carry them back with me; if I were doing a week's worth of shopping I'd find it more convenient to order online and have them come the next day.

I guess it works well, or they wouldn't offer the service, it just struck me as odd.

Re:Not news... at least not in the UK...

[Firethorn]

Not lugging the bags back is a small mercy, I guess, but hardly making the best use of a delivery infrastructure. As someone else pointed out, one of the biggest advantages by far of grocery delivery is the website learning what you usually order, so the whole process is done in ten minutes.

While I agree that online ordering is probably for the best, still being able to shop is probably good as well. If the customers are willing to wait a day or two you can save fuel and such by optimizing the delivery routes. Software is actually getting pretty good at it nowadays. The more people the better, of course. Sort of like how it's a heck of a lot cheaper for a lawn care service to hit EVERY house on a block rather than a house here and there - they'll cut deals of half price or more in exchange, at least in some areas.

Hmm... Situations I can think of:

1. Time saving: Order online, store pickup where an associate gathers up your order.
2. Vehicle saving: Pick out in store, have delivered.
3. Time&vehicle: Order online, have delivered.

Asda In the UK

[Fnagaton]

UK store Asda, while owned by Wal-Mart, had been using online shopping for years.

Re:Asda In the UK

[Anonymous Coward]

Named-day delivery 2-hour slot delivery for £3 (off-peak), £4.50 or £5 (peak) -or- the part most people miss, 8-hour slot at £2.

well free delivery you need to tip to pay the cost

[Joe The Dragon]

well with free delivery you need to tip to pay the costs of the delivery guy car use for gas and all.

Knowing walmart they may pay the tipped min wage and pay $0 per run and make the drivers use there own car.

But why?

[chill]

Where will we get our fix for People of Walmart?

If you're too fat for even the power chair carts at Walmart, you might be a redneck.

Re:But why?

[Anonymous Coward]

Why? So people like me who don't drive can get groceries. Right now I have to either go by bus, and only get what I can carry, or I have to get someone else to take me.

Online DELIVERY???

[arikol]

Online delivery?
So the internet IS a series of tubes! The secret is out!!! It's all a conspiracy to keep the online delivered groceries out of our hands!!!!!

Or are they talking about online ordering and old fashioned 'guy on a van brings food to your home' ?

Re:Online DELIVERY???

[RobDollar]

You'd be surprised how close to the mark you are. A couple of services have been proposed (rather lame link here http://www.tgdaily.com/sustainability-features/52886-team-touts-underground-physical-internet) that would deliver goods to UK homes with a series of tubes (I kid you not).

I would assume that maybe groceries could be delivered to you in less than the time it takes for the preview button to work here.

Why Walmart and not WholeFoods or Trader Joes?

[elucido]

Walmart is not known for having quality food. Why is it so difficult to find a delivery service for quality food but so easy to find a delivery service from Stop and Shop or Walmart?

Re:Why Walmart and not WholeFoods or Trader Joes?

[Anonymous Coward]

Because stores that sell quality products design their business model around getting people in the store and making impulse buys.

Re:Why Walmart and not WholeFoods or Trader Joes?

[Anonymous Coward]

Walmart is not known for having quality food. Why is it so difficult to find a delivery service for quality food but so easy to find a delivery service from Stop and Shop or Walmart?

Trader Joe's would rather you come into the store. The food itself is only part of the experience shopping there, the demo program, employees that actually talk to you, and the generous return policy are some of the things that make Trader Joe's unique.

Disclaimer: I have worked there for 5 years, 3 in a management position, multiple stores. I can't speak for Whole Foods, but I would imagine they would also want customers to come into the store instead of just "getting the food".

Re:Why Walmart and not WholeFoods or Trader Joes?

[Anonymous Coward]

Volume. Fixed costs for setting up a delivery service are probably too much for a low volume outfit like Whole Foods. There have been organic delivery services for years, but there's a tremendous difference in price between purchasing a box of one-size-fits-all seasonable items compared to preselected individual items. To bring the costs down to market clearing service rates you probably need a sizeable operation.

Re:Why Walmart and not WholeFoods or Trader Joes?

[JayJayAarh]

I have no idea what "Trader Joe's" is. Given the demographic of /. I would hazard a guess at some American outfit. However, am I the only person that doesn't care for employees that "actually talk to you" ? When I go to buy food, I generally want to get in and out quickly...Nothing p's me off more than hanging around waiting while the staff have a long chat with some customer at the checkout....

Re:Why Walmart and not WholeFoods or Trader Joes?

[Telepathetic Man]

If anyone is really thinking Trader Joe's is any better than Walmart, they may want to double check the packaging of your food(s) you buy there.

Re:Why Walmart and not WholeFoods or Trader Joes?

[parens]

Trader Joe's is the alleged nirvana of retail grocery shopping. It got it's start in California, which should tell you what you need to know about it.

I'm the same as you on the "don't talk to me, just tell me how much I owe and let's move on" camp. I think it's wonderful that some people feel the need to form deep personal bonds with their cashier - I am not among that population.

Re:Why Walmart and not WholeFoods or Trader Joes?

[Anonymous Coward]

Looks like you might want to check the content of your Walmart food. Hydrogenated oils, HFCS, artificial flavors and colors, msg, genetically modified food. Trader Joe's branded food has none of that. Sounds like YOU might have to double check some packaging.

Re:Why Walmart and not WholeFoods or Trader Joes?

[painandgreed]

Trader Joe's is a grocery store. Lots of natural and organic foods. Looking around, it will seem like a clearing house of gourmet brands as they have some things, but not everything you'll want to buy. However, shop around and they will have something you want and are willing to go there for. The brownie mix that beats everybody else's, that one snack food you love, the curry nan, that one brand of wine and cider that they carry that nobody else does, etc. all make it worth going there and picking up other stuff while you do (at a reasonable price). You'll probably still have to go to the other grocery store to pick up the stuff they don't have unless you're religious about the natural organic thing. Go in knowing what you want and nobody is going to bother you. Look like you're confused or ask a question and they'll help you. Other than that, they hire a bunch of crayola colored hair kids who are made to wear Hawaiian shirts and seem happy at work.

Re:Why Walmart and not WholeFoods or Trader Joes?

[drsquare]

People who buy based on quality rather than price would probably want to actually see the food before they buy it. Delivery is a good way of getting rid of all the greying meat and wilted lettuces. Walmart shoppers probably wouldn't notice the difference.

Re:Why Walmart and not WholeFoods or Trader Joes?

[keithpreston]

Small Format Grocery store with a natural/organic spin. They sell all self branded products. I come from the midwest and would say they are a much higher quality Aldi's

Webvan 2.0

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe I can buy some socks and some dog food too.

Scary

[stopacop]

Are your orders going to be filled at your local Wal-Mart? If so, absolute scary. The people there cannot even tell me where things are at in the store, often leading me around on a wild goose chase with them to find the item I am looking for when I could do that myself.

Re:Scary

[Anonymous Coward]

Likely not, have you seen their distribution centers?

I for one welcome our new robotic distribution overlords...

Re:Scary

[Anonymous Coward]

Half the time, They know where they are, Just screwing with you. I work there, I know

Re:Scary

[mindwhip]

Yes the do.... they wander around the store for you with a hand scanner with a screen that tells them what to pick and in the optimum order to pick it...
You can also give written instructions like 'I prefer bananas that are almost going black' if you really want... which they may or may not pay attention to.

Some of the fancier systems even let you enter the number from an old till receipt and let you easily choose items from it without having to search the online store four preferred brand of hair gel

Re:Scary

[Anonymous Coward]

Making it extra-hard for your customers to buy your products. ...smart move, dickheads.

Re:Scary

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not like they get commission or anything. When employees don't benefit directly from doing a good job there's little incentive to do one.

And before you bring it up, doing a good job doesn't translate into advancement, either. Kissing ass is more effective and often required if you want to move up. The upper management are often hired directly out of college from interns who don't really know what they're doing because all they have are booksmarts. They stand around and boss people around who have a better idea how to run the store because they have years of experience actually working in it.

Re:Scary

[elrous0]

You think it's scary in the daytime, try going to Walmart at about 3 a.m. sometime. That's when they bring out the REALLY scary employees. Last time I went there late, it took me a long time to find an employee who could even talk to me (not kidding). First employee seemed to be seriously mentally disabled and the next two couldn't speak English. Finally found a guy in back who looked like he had just retired from a long stint as a carnie/career-felon, who could more-or-less answer a question in a coherent fashion.

They should be doing even more

[Krackbaby]

One of the biggest downsides of ordering something from an online retailer is having to wait a variable amount of time to get your order (and having to pay an arm and a leg to get it fast). I've always thought that Wal-Mart was uniquely situated to offering online product ordering (not just for groceries) that gives you same day delivery for a relatively reasonable price. Their size and reach and efficient logistics puts them in a unique position to offer something like that, sort of a short range FedEx. I realize they already have in-store pickup, but I bet there would significant interest if they could offer full blown delivery at a reasonable price. Amazon isn't nearly large enough to develop this sort of thing, Wal-Mart is probably the only company that could. They order everything in massive quantities, they already replicate most of their merchandise across 50 states, and they're renowned for running a lean (and mean) company.

I mean, you can easily spend $5-10 to get something small delivered like a video game. Fuel may be expensive, but $5 of diesel can push a smaller delivery truck a long way. If you can order a video game in the morning, and have it delivered by 7:00 PM, even if they charge $5-10, I could see that being an easy call for a lot of people.

Re:They should be doing even more

[mindwhip]

The biggest draw is once you have used the service a few times all the things you buy are on your favourites list (or similar named equivalent) so it takes you about ten minutes of clicking to do what would take you an hour or more of driving, wandering around, trying to resists impulse buys, queuing for the checkout, more driving and unloading the car...

Given they offer pre-selected small window delivery times here in the UK (20 minute slots), I can get the delivery when I will be home anyway, that's an hour and a half I can use to catch up on my TV, spend time with the kids, read a good book, play computer games etc... That alone is worth the £5 delivery fee

Re:They should be doing even more

[hedwards]

You do realize that Amazon already provides this sort of service, right? Granted I'm sure it's not everywhere yet, but that's what Amazon Fresh does, they delivery groceries on a one time or regular basis direct to your door, and the food is usually on your doorstep when you get up in the morning.

Re:They should be doing even more

[Farmer Tim]

Amazon Fresh sounds like a deodorant for tall, aggressive women.

Re:They should be doing even more

[babywhiz]

But what Amazon doesn't do is provide Diet Mt. Dew at a reasonable price... http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=diet+mountain+dew&x=0&y=0 It's currently $5.99 at my local Harps for a case (24) 12oz cans. Why on earth would I pay Amazon 21$ for the same thing?

Re:They should be doing even more

[berberine]

Amazon Fresh only delivers in a limited area in Seattle. That is only a tiny part of America. It is useless to anyone who lives outside of Seattle.

Re:They should be doing even more

[Anonymous Coward]

Amazon Fresh is only in a limited area in Seattle currently.

Re:They should be doing even more

[hedwards]

My point is that Amazon already does provide this service, if on a limited basis. The person I was responding to was claiming that Amazon doesn't do that. My post acknowledged that it isn't everywhere.

Re:They should be doing even more

[SeaFox]

What you could note is that it's not Amazon selling the item, but someone else offering it through Amazon's listing.
So Amazon has nothing to do with the price.

Honestly I wouldn't expect a good deal on any liquid item being purchased online simply because shipping becomes much more complicated with heavy, spill-able liquids.

Re:They should be doing even more

[Curmudgeonlyoldbloke]

...and TFA states that Walmart are trialling in San Jose which (a) is very urban, (b) is smaller than Seattle, and (c) had a fairly crap choice of supermarkets the last time that I was there.

Chicks to go:

[Hartree]

Will that be Jersey Giant, Rhode Island Red, or Leghorn?

Oh, and we tried fitting Barbie doll shorts, but they don't fit that well.

Re:Chicks to go:

[MarkRose]

Try Bantams. They're smaller and more docile. If the shorts don't fit, you'll at least have an easier time trying.

Webvan !

[mikeabbott420]

I could see this being useful but many items in a grocery store lack the fungible nature of factory goods. I want to see how the produce looks before I even decide fully on what produce I want, for most types of fresh fruit, fish,meat, vegetables etc

Re:Webvan !

[Seumas]

I love ordering groceries online. I have barely gone shopping for groceries in person in my entire adult life. For $10, I can click a button and have everything delivered into my kitchen the next morning. I don't have to drive around, deal with families and screaming kids and lines and shopping carts and all that crap. I don't have to wander around the store looking for everything. I just click a button and it's done with. It's another thing I don't have to spend precious time from my life doing anymore, like a lot of other things the modern age has afforded us (like banking, going to the video rental store, going to the post office, etc).

The ONLY complaint I have over the almost twelve years I've been doing online grocery shopping is that they'll try and pawn the closer-to-expiration stuff on you if you're not careful. You might get a loaf of bread that expires the day it's delivered. You might get a gallon of milk that expires in five days. Still, I was never a person who enjoyed the grocery store chore, so I live with it and am quite happy.

Re:Webvan !

[rolfwind]

I wish there were more Aldis around. One thing I noticed about supermarkets is that they make you run around the entire perimeter of the store and then some to get the basics just so you can much more food than intended. An aldi is about 1/6 to 1/9 the size of a modern supermarket I would estimate (1/3 width * 1/3-1/2 depth). There are about 5 aisles but have what I need 90% of the time. Unlike most mom/pops or convenience stores, they're very cheap, even compared to the supermarkets. The cashiers are fast. I can get in and out within 5-10 mins (but they are rather far away). Very little bullshit to put up with.

Online shopping generally has 3 advantages imo. Selection - if the store you are looking at doesn't have it, it's easy to go to the next. Easy price comparison. And information, there are sites generally much more knowlegeable about what they are selling without the dumbass commission-base salesman hassling you.

Offline shopping generally has some advantages. Easy returns, nothing to ship back. The "I want it now!" factor. No registration, pay by cash.

Time spent factor usually lends to the online experience. Although it can make small purchases seem big and make you research them too much.

My gripe with irl shopping in general is that it takes too much time but everything lends to groceries being sold the old way. For me, I'm talking 25 mins just to get there and back, parking, waiting in line for a minimal purchase. More time otherwise. But I do not want to look online for purchases of butter, read reviews on it, or even think about it. I would gladly take delivery from walmart for my staples (eggs, milk, cereal, juice, some frozen items) on a subsciption basis. My brother does this with amazon already for his coffee beans - once a month he gets a package. If I could get the same service once a week without thinking about it (until I need to adjust it or put it on hold due to vacation, etc) I would gladly do so. Even if only spares me one shopping trip a week, it would be worth it.

Re:Webvan !

[Anonymous Coward]

This.

I could see it working, but only with a vendor I'd trust, and seriously - Wal-Mart? Thanks, but no thanks. (The local farmer's market here offers something along these lines, though - a "vegetable subscription" where they'll send you a box full of whatever is good that week, every week. I'm not using it, but a friend of mine does, and he says it really works; I suppose actually getting to meet the very farmers that grow these vegetables on the market if you so desire helps build the necessary trust. These people have a reputation to lose, and unlike Wal-Mart, they can't compensate by making money elsewhere.)

Re:Webvan !

[Anonymous Coward]

hah, mod this guy funny! fresh fruit, fish, vegetables.. rofl :-)

Re:Webvan !

[Anonymous Coward]

Thank You.

This is fine for dry goods, and is already done by Amazon, Alice, Drugstore, etc. Problem with some of those is that I do not want a box of toothbrushes, I just want one. This is also the problem with club stores too, for me.

Fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh meat, fresh bread. These are things that need to be purchased now and looked at before I purchase them.

The real problem with physical stores and online stores is what they carry. Go to Tide.com some day and see all the versions they have and then look for all them when you are at the store some day. Granted they will have 200 bottles of Tide on the shelf taking up a whole isle, but they will all be of the same or limited variety. The same goes for Chunky soup.

I am still waiting for the day where I can go to a store or online and have the complete collection to choose from and order what I want. As a tech guy who does some DB work I am fascinated why physical stores with the whole scanning checkout, cannot stock the shelves properly. Other than the float on the floor, the store should know based on what is being checked out exactly what is moving and not moving in the store. Also, they will need to get the checkers to scan each one of the different yogurts I by and not all 6 as one flavor, but that is just a training problem.

Pretty Good

[jewelises]

When I moved out of my mother's basement I used the Albertson's delivery service until they shut it down. It was $14 per delivery, regardless of size, so I'd get all of my groceries for the month in one order.

It was a lot easier to avoid impulse buying and to plan out what was actually needed when I could place the order online. Albertson's would remember your previous order so it was easy to just adjust it slightly each month.

Re:Pretty Good

[zippthorne]

, so I'd get all of my groceries for the month in one order

Well I guess you saved money. That's about three and a half weeks of frozen dinners, canned food and dry goods by my count, though...

Re:Pretty Good

[proxima]

It was a lot easier to avoid impulse buying and to plan out what was actually needed when I could place the order online

Impulse buying groceries is a really interesting phenomenon, and something I'm very prone to myself. The question is, how does your purchasing change in the long run if you can eliminate impulse buying? There seems to be only a few possibilities: 1. You buy healthier items and aren't tempted by junk food and instant gratification foods as much 2. You buy less and throw out less food and 3. You bargain shop better by carefully weighing the value of items. Unlike non-grocery items, sooner or later you'll consume calories, so the question is of what type and whether you can consume these impulse-purchased calories before they spoil.

That said, $14 seems like a lot of money for those benefits, given that grocery shopping is the only type of shopping I enjoy. If I want to cut down on impulse purchases of food for whatever reason, I make it a point to eat right beforehand. If I didn't have a car, though, I'd certainly be interested in grocery delivery.

Re:Pretty Good

[MoonBuggy]

$14 is steep; the services in the UK (which numerous posters have already mentioned the existence of) charge about £3 to £5, which equates to around $5 to $8. Since deliveries of this type rely on a pre-existing network of stores, with small vans doing the last few miles to the home, I would think that the larger size and lower population density of the US should have a minimal impact on delivery pricing.

Re:Pretty Good

[macshit]

I enjoy grocery shopping as well, but that's in "normal" grocery stores, that I can conveniently drop into on my normal walking route.

Walmart (and other U.S. style suburban mega box stores) are different: they're truly unpleasant places, and typically require a dedicated trip to the edge of town or something. I can imagine many people would pony up some cash to get the low prices of Walmart while avoiding the depressing experience and inconvenience.

It's a sad comment on the state the U.S., with the disintegration of any sense of community, but in most places that damage is already done; this is just a reaction to it. I think it's the wrong reaction, and will just make a horrible situation even worse, but it's understandable that someone would choose it.

Re:Pretty Good

[JayJayAarh]

Huh? Surely the the larger size and lower population density would have a significant impact.....Then again, once you take the difference in petrol/gas prices into account, you could probably drive from New York to LA for the same price as it takes my local Tesco van to get to my house, which is about 1KM away!

Re:Pretty Good

[MoonBuggy]

My line of thinking was that the distance from the average American house to a Walmart is probably not significantly greater than the distance from the average British house to a Tesco - customers have to be able to drive to either in a reasonable time, after all. While the logistics involved in getting items to the stores from central warehousing locations may be made more difficult by the scale of the US, the infrastructure delivering items from the stores would probably only need to operate within a 10-15 mile radius in either country, because if your nearest branch is much further than that from where you live, you're probably not going to bother going there. That's why I commented specifically on the fact that it relies on pre-existing locations in my previous post.

Re:Pretty Good

[oldhack]

... so I'd get all of my groceries for the month in one order.

How many packages of hot pocket is that? Or were trying to be healthy and mix in microwave burritos?

Re:Pretty Good

[Anonymous Coward]

And now that you've moved back into Mom's basement?

Re:Pretty Good

[sxeraverx]

Dude, he's a Brit. He understates things. It's supposed to be read,

should have at least a minimal impact

Has been working fine...

[wimg]

Has been working fine in Belgium for about 10 years or so. Several of the major stores offer this service for a small fee.

Fairly old service in Australia

[theweatherelectric]

Woolworths and Coles are the major supermarket chains in Australia. Woolworths has offered an online delivery service for over a decade (https://www.homeshop.com.au/website/index.jsp) and Coles also has a delivery service (https://www.colesonline.com.au/).

Soon...

[falken0905]

Soon I will never have to leave the house. Ever.
Seriously though, this could be a good service for those who truly are shut-ins and those with limited mobility or transportation. I still think Walmart is evil though. And Starbucks.

Yes!

[PPH]

If it keeps these people at home and out of the public view, I'm all for it.

1999 called

[Spy Handler]

they want their Webvan.com back

Re:1999 called

[CastrTroy]

OMG!!! Did you tell them about the World Trade Center? Obligatory XKCD

Re:1999 called

[rolfwind]

I remember someone talking about how they could order lifesavers from webvan with free delivery and they'd actually drop this off in a small packet! And these were the days of 99 cent gas.

I'd guess it should be $20 order minimum. Maybe more.

They are late to the party, but...

[Hahnsoo]

While Walmart is certainly late to the party on this one, the business implications are pretty big. They are already the world's largest retailer. They are already known for pushing out local businesses (which may be a good or bad thing depending on which point of view you are seeing). Delivery is one of the few ways that grocery stores have set themselves apart from Walmart. Is this a way for Walmart to strike out at their competition? Are they going to try to cut into competitors like Safeway and Albertson's who offer grocery delivery? My other slightly off-topic question is: why aren't there any fast food hamburger delivery chains? You can't throw a rock without hitting a pizza delivery place (or Chinese or Indian food), but there aren't any well-known burger joints that deliver (at least, not throughout the US in all locations).

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[proxima]

My other slightly off-topic question is: why aren't there any fast food hamburger delivery chains?

A food's ability to be delivered depends a lot on how well it handles a 30 minute wait. Pizza is okay luke warm, cold, or re-heated. Chinese isn't so great cold, but you can insulate it pretty well and keep it warm enough for arrival, same with Indian food (both reheat okay). Cold sandwiches/subs deliver fine too.

A burger, on the other hand, gets soggy, cold, and disgusting by the 30 minute mark. Fries are similar. These days most fast food places have pretty fast turnover of their fries, and within about 15 minutes of them being left out they're a pale imitation of how good they taste when you first get them. Tex-Mex is similar - tacos get soggy, so much that Taco Bell tastes much worse if you get it in the drive through and drive 10 minutes home with it.

On the other hand, fried chicken products tend to do okay with the wait time. So while we don't see very many chicken-only delivery places, the major pizza chains often add chicken wings to their delivery options.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[jkmartin]

No no NO! Walmart is good at 1 thing - selling very large volumes of low to medium quality merchandise in store. When they have tried to move away from this model they have failed - repeatedly and spectacularly. The most recent example came with a redesign of stores and elimination of some merchandise to give a more Target-ish feel. EVERYONE involved in that decision has been terminated and sales dropped by nearly $2 billion. Remember Walmart's competitor to Netflix? No one else does either. Did you know Walmart sells downloadable music? It's cheaper than iTunes and you never hear about it. Walmart went big in electronics and is now reducing that department's square footage by 2000 in each store.

Walmart's profit on sales is very low - something like 3.5% across all merchandise. Grocery items have even smaller profit margins. For this to have even a slight chance of success the delivery fee will need to be tiny as the average Walmart customer is just that cost conscious. That tiny fee could easily be eaten up given even the smallest change in gas prices. I buy nearly all my groceries at Walmart. Given the choice of a $10 delivery fee and actually going to the store I will go to the store every single time.

I live near Walmart's home office, and I have to tell you, Walmart is scared. They are entering unfamiliar territory and they do not know what to do. Other than a few isolated urban pockets, there is no where left for Walmart to expand. You can go to the middle of Alaska and there is a Walmart there. Walmart's years of explosive growth have ended. The stock price has barely budged over the last 10 years. While sales increase, the profit on those sales is decreasing. Something Walmart is trying to pilot here are stores in small towns (pop. 2500) that compete with dollar stores (Family Dollar, Dollar General). This not only breaks their distribution model (large trucks over large roads to large stores) but will drain sales from their existing large stores. Those smaller stores in smaller markets will have even smaller profit margins. Walmart isn't chasing pennies any longer, they are chasing hundredths of cents. Walmart is not innovating they are copying. This grocery delivery trial is just the latest attempt by Walmart of trying something (anything) to reverse what is in all likelihood a slow but inevitable death. Walmart isn't going away anytime soon, but they are going away.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[Anonymous Coward]

jkmartin: agree with all you say .... but ... they are growing extremely rapidly in China and India ... Sam's Club China is open and growing fast, and Walmart-China should catch up next year .... So there is still growth in their model, just not in this country, where they have eaten all of the customers there are to be had ...

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[Anonymous Coward]

Just as a side note, the profit depends on the item. When I was shoe dept. manager, every single item I sold had at least a 50% markup, except for clearance items, which were still 15-20%. However, when I moved to dairy, I was shocked that 1/2 of our gallon milk is sold at a loss. That item isn't intended to drive the profit margin, but rather to drive customer counts up.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[DerekLyons]

Walmart went big in electronics and is now reducing that department's square footage by 2000 in each store.

I have to question that statement - because around here the electronics departments only run around 2000-2500 square feet to begin with. (And they've been that size for over a decade.)
 

I have to tell you, Walmart is scared. They are entering unfamiliar territory and they do not know what to do. Other than a few isolated urban pockets, there is no where left for Walmart to expand.

Not only that - but with the near demise of Kmart, they're nearly saturated demographically as well. The only place left for the them to grow is upscale, and there they'll not only face Target (a potentially very tough opponent), but also a variety of strong regional chains - while flirting with the loss of their traditional demographic base.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[drsquare]

Really? Most generic takeaways in the UK deliver burgers. There are no specialised burger places like that, but the general pizza/kebab/burger takeaways will deliver.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[keithpreston]

Delivery fee is $5 is you specify a 4 hour window. It only works on volume. If you and all your neighbor order, it will be profitable. This actually is re-making me a customer of Walmart. The San Jose area only has 2 Walmarts and no supercenters. This gives me access to supercenter products without driving 20 miles. I put in my first order.

Considering the time,gas and hassle, $10 delivery fee isn't much. It can be as low as $5, which I think is worth it. Honestly if they only do this to addresses outside of 5-10 miles from existing supercenters, they open themselves to lots of new customers.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[Anonymous Coward]

Thank you professor.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[Anonymous Coward]

This grocery delivery trial is just the latest attempt by Walmart of trying something (anything) to reverse what is in all likelihood a slow but inevitable death. Walmart isn't going away anytime soon, but they are going away.

OK, Your dislike of Walmart is distorting your analysis. Walmart is nowhere near stagnation - let alone starting to decline. They are doing very well at what they do, whether you (or I) like them or not. Are you predicting the end of Home Depot and Lowes as well?

glmdesigns.blogspot.com

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[Kurast]

In Brazil we have a lot of fast food chains that deliver burgers, including BK and MacDonalds, but also many others that non-Brazilians would not know.
Also, many types of stuff that you would not expect to be delivered I normally order here.
  The list is long :icecream, medicines (even prescriptions), charged car batteries with free replacement service, smoothies, açaí berry creams, etc

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[Raenex]

Walmart is scared. [..] Walmart's years of explosive growth have ended. The stock price has barely budged over the last 10 years. [..] Walmart isn't going away anytime soon, but they are going away.

I don't understand this idea that a company that isn't undergoing explosive growth is dying. If they rake in billions of profit every year and have a steady market share, but aren't exponentially growing, then they are still doing great.

When they start exponentially losing market share, then you can claim they are dying.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[jkmartin]

Dude, perhaps you missed the part where I said I bought nearly all my groceries at Walmart. Do you think I would buy most of what I eat from someone I don't like? I think Walmart is on the right track with sustainability and local sourcing; but Walmart is not only stagnant it is failing. I know you think my dislike is distorting, but go look up their same store sales for yourself. Hint: numbers that are in parentheses or preceded by a "-" indicate negative growth.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[jkmartin]

In business there is growth and death. If you aren't doing 1, you are doing the other. Go ask your employer if he would like to grow or shrink. If he says he wants to remain the same size you need to find a new employer.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[jkmartin]

http://hothardware.com/News/Walmart-Scaling-Back-Electronics-Department-to-Make-Room-for-Fishing-Poles/

http://archive.chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2011/04/wal-mart-shrinks-electronics-space-adds-items.html

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[Raenex]

You ignored the part about being in a steady state. Not explosively growing doesn't mean you are dying. Your binary view of the business world misses a big middle ground.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[scribblej]

I know at least three places in my immediate area that will deliver a burger, and they arrive quite tasty.

On the flipside, I can't find a single Indian place that will deliver!

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[Anonymous Coward]

They're not going away, but their explosive growth is. They'll always be an awesomely efficient conduit for getting cheap Chinese goods to first-world consumers.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[ShooterNeo]

Slow but inevitable death? A corporation can't grow forever. There's only one planet, for one thing. All Walmart has to do is acknowledge that they are a huge player in one niche, and continue to do well in that niche. All that money they blew trying other things could have been paid as dividends to shareholders.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[swillden]

In business there is growth and death. If you aren't doing 1, you are doing the other. Go ask your employer if he would like to grow or shrink. If he says he wants to remain the same size you need to find a new employer.

Nonsense. Do some research on dividend stocks. There are plenty of businesses out there that aren't growing and aren't dying. Instead they're returning steady, solid profits year after year. People with income rather than growth as an investment goal actively seek out these companies.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[jkmartin]

Name companies in this middle ground and give us their 10 year outlook. Here, I'll start you off: Microsoft.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[jkmartin]

Would you call WMT a dividend stock? I can assure you that Walmart management does not want to be a dividend stock. But lets say they are a dividend stock. $100,000 invested in WMT 2 years ago would have resulted in $4,792 in dividends and $6,720 in stock growth. So about a 5.8% yearly return, 2.4% of which is from dividends. If I'm going to tie up $100K in capital for 2 years, I'm going to need better than 5.8%. My teeny-tiny 401k that is 80% bonds more than doubles that.

The same amount invested in Target would be worth $127,844. That's greater than a 13.5% yearly return.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[Actually, I do RTFA]

Here, I'll start you off: Microsoft.

Well, it was as true about Microsoft 10 years ago as it is now. And they've done pretty well over the past 10 years. But even that is a bad analogy because software uniquely doesn't degrade. So look at other peddlers of consumables.

How about Sears? Coke/Pepsi? Every chain resturant that's already hit saturation (McD's, BK, etc)?

Every business goes through logonormal growth. If you can identify where you are in the growth curve before anyone else you can make some money. But all growth looks the same or the company dies early.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[swillden]

I haven't really researched WMT as an investment and can't comment intelligently on either its market position or its future. I was just countering your statement that companies must either grow or die.

Also, 5.8% is a very acceptable return for many income investors in a non-inflationary economic climate, as long as it's a reliable return.

Re:They are late to the party, but...

[jkmartin]

My electric utility beats WMT on return.

GROSS...

[Seumas]

First of all, I can already have groceries delivered in Denver from Krogers and have for six years. In Portland, I was having my groceries delivered from either Safeway or Albertsons (this was after Webhome/van/peapod/whatever it was back then, because I forget), since about 2000.

Second, I was forced to go grocery shopping at a Wal-Mart twice and they have a TERRIBLE selection. I don't think Wal-Mart is intended to be a place you buy actual groceries. All they had was microwavable meals and candy and soda and canned goods and tons of pre-boxed macaroni and cheese stuff and other crap. It was like a really big 7-11. It's the place I would go to buy junk food, but not *REAL* food (mostly, you know, because they didn't seem to HAVE real food).

Re:GROSS...

[Nutria]

I don't think Wal-Mart is intended to be a place you buy actual groceries.

Must not have been a Super Wal-Mart, which is a grocery store bolted onto a Wal-Mart..

Decent prices, slightly limited selection and just a mile from home.

Day late and dollar short?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yep, Walmart is rather late to the game, which is fine by me. I detest the place. Our local Kroger grocery store, King Soopers, has had online ordering and a delivery service since Prodigy was around. That was the horse and buggy days, wasn't it?

Watch out for ordering too much "fresh" produce

[owlstead]

Here we have this great service from Albert Heijn (AH). I'm living in an apartment building with a lot of people, and ordering just the toilet paper online is totally worth it. But there was a consumer program called "Radar" and they had a show on the "fresh produce" problem. AH guarantees that you will have at least 2 days until the expiry date, but that makes it hard to buy for a whole week. In the shop you can - eh - shop around for the latest expiry date, but that trick does not work with an online shop. Personally, I would like to *see* my fresh produce before I would buy it (but I'm luckily able to get my fresh produce myself).

Re:Watch out for ordering too much "fresh" produce

[MoonBuggy]

The ubiquitous delivery services in the UK seem to do a decent job of this - the vast majority of things are no closer to their use by date than I'd expect had I done the shopping myself (although admittedly if I do shop in person I don't spend time going through looking for that one container beyond all the others that won't go bad for a decade), and those that do only have a day or two are marked as such, with the option to send them back with the delivery guy for a refund.

Re:Watch out for ordering too much "fresh" produce

[Anonymous Coward]

working for a major supplier to numerous UK supermarkets - products are supplied to depots with a specified minimum number of days life until expiry, depots then distribute the product (which takes no more than 12 hours) and from there the stores will always use the freshest stock for home delivery - straight from the delivery from depot.

No delivery magic

[Anonymous Coward]

If you have Wal-Mart delivered to your domicile you will miss out on all the particular wonders that will eventually show up on http://www.peopleofwalmart.com

Or maybe that's the point; keep them at home save the eyeballs of the general public.

Re:well free delivery you need to tip to pay the c

[ydrol]

GP like me, is British. We dont tip if we can help it :)

Only people I tip,
- barber shop,
- mechanic (to make them less likely to rip me off), and
- restaurant if there is no service charge.(cash direct to serving staff - no Credit Card tip)

Groceries over the internet?

[thewils]

Does that mean I have to upgrade to a 10 Giga-carrot connection?

Re:Groceries over the internet?

[Anonymous Coward]

No.

You wouldn't download a car(rot).

It just doesn't work

[Anonymous Coward]

Problem.. you have to wait for delivery. They won't have everything you want so you'll have to settle for substitutes and if you accept substitutes they probably won't give you want you want more often or give you the most expensive items not on sale. So your going to have to visit the grocery store anyway at least for the small fresh stuff and chances are you'll find exactly what they said they did not have in stock. It just doesn't work unless your buying in bulk and stock up for a month at a time.

Amazon has been doing that for a while

[shutdown -p now]

Amazon, of all companies, has been doing that for a while in Seattle.

Re:Amazon has been doing that for a while

[blargster]

I've been using Amazon Fresh for a couple of years now and it is a great service. I usually use the unattended pre-dawn delivery (shows up on my doorstep between 4 and 6AM). Saves me lugging groceries up a few flights of stairs.

The delivery charge is reasonable (approx $6 - $7, I think) but delivery is free if you order at least $200 a month.

The minimum order is $30.

I don't know if they intend to expand beyond of the Seattle area.

Re:Amazon has been doing that for a while

[Nutria]

That whole "serving customers in the Seattle area" thing makes it pretty useless to 99% of the population of the US.

You tip barbers and mechanics?

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't drive, but I've never tipped a barber and never heard of anyone in the UK doing so.

Re:You tip barbers and mechanics?

[Retron]

I'm in the UK and tip the barber. It's not an uncommon thing to do, I've seen plenty of others do it too.

Re:You tip barbers and mechanics?

[flappinbooger]

I'm in the US. You tip the barber but not a "hairdresser" at a salon.

But this is a barber. Big chair, bottles of blue mystery fluid with the combs in it, warm foamy shave cream dispenser, straight blade razor sharpener on the side of the chair. He will use the straight razor on the sideburns.

The barber's price is 1/2 to 2/3 that of a "male haircut" at a salon. Of course, the barber haircut looks pretty much always the same for everyone no matter what you "request" and it takes 5 minutes.

The style options are off the ears, on the ears, part on the left, right or middle. Awesome.

Re:You tip barbers and mechanics?

[Zaiff Urgulbunger]

I'm from the UK and always tip barbers. But then again, I've never tipped a mechanic.

quality schmality

[poptones]

It has nothing to do with quality. Those high end grocers are running boutiques. They depend on an elitist consumer base that will try new things and incorporate them into a growing palate.

Walmart depends on people expecting the same thing at the cheapest price. They're not always cheapest but if you keep people coming back rather than running off to other local markets they have nothing to compare.

This is why there's a walmart in every small town in america. Even here in the big ol' city there's two whole foods, two trader joes, and a few more specialty markets. That's in the whole city of tucson - where there's also like ten walmarts just within 3 miles of my house. That's a pretty major distribution network.

Re:quality schmality

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't understand why people say Trader Joes is high-end. Trader Joes branded food is cheaper than any major food label, and often times better for you. The food is produced/packaged at the same places all the major brands are, except to Trader Joes specifications. By switching from Vons/Albertsons/Ralphs to only Trader Joes I've managed to save 25% on my monthly groceries while eating healthier. I don't consider it high-end at all.

If anything, the major chains have the elitist consumer base that need brand names. TJ Cornflakes for $2.29 a box or Kelloggs Cornflakes for $4.99? TJ's milk for $2.49/gal with no hormones injected, or Alta-Dena $3.59/gal at a major super market (unless you buy 2, then it's $2.49/ea). Of course you aren't going to find your $4.99 bag of Tostitos tortilla chips at TJs, but you can find their brand with better ingredients for $1.99.

Venture out and try something that's not advertised to shit on TV. When you go to a major supermarket, you are paying for all the advertising of the brand names.

Re:quality schmality

[wazza]

I'm a bit off topic, but things like those you just mentioned remind me (and amaze me) again how *cheap* food is in the U.S. Your milk for $3.59 per gallon is far less than what an Aussie in Melbourne pays - $3 per 2 litres for branded milk (equivalent to $5.70 per gallon.)

And at the moment US$1.00 = AU$1.07, too. There's something to be said for economy of scale!

McDonalds delivers...in Asia

[voss]

The McDonalds in Chengdu China has 24 hour delivery.
I saw the McDonalds delivery phone number prominently displayed in McDonalds in Thailand.

KFC also delivers in Asian countries.

Re:McDonalds delivers...in Asia

[Anonymous Coward]

This is 'the norm' in Korea too, over here you can order pretty much any food you wish for delivery 24-hours.

Congrats, here's a cookie

[Anonymous Coward]

We've had it in the states for years too, or did you just assume all stores in the US are walmart?

Re:Congrats, here's a cookie

[hldn]

why not, all restaurants are taco bell.

Re:well free delivery you need to tip to pay the c

[JayJayAarh]

Seriously? You don't tip a guy delivering food to your door? The classic joke is that Scots are a bit cheap....I am in Scotland and we always chuck the guy delivering my pizza at least a couple of quid....Shame on you!

Re:well free delivery you need to tip to pay the c

[antifoidulus]

I hated that in the uk some restaurants put the tip right on your bill. I went to an Indian restaurant and made sure to tell the waiter no green onions, and of course my dish comes out and is covered with the things. I wasn't going to tip him but the bastard put the tip right on the bill. I guess technically I didn't have to pay it, but I just didn't have the energy to fight that fight.... Now I live in a country where absolutely no tipping is practiced, it's bliss.

Online delivery -- download me a beer, hon.

[DCFusor]

Parse the title! Online delivery? Food->bits->food? Wow! Science really has moved on.

GREAT Idea

[ChiRaven]

When I lived in Chicago (until 2002) the Jewel Food chain (largest chain of groceries) had a service (affiliated or not I'm not sure) called PeaPod that delivered fresh food from their stores ... pretty much anything they stocked ... for a reasonable fee (plus a tip, if you had any sense and planned to order again). This was a GREAT service. I really missed them when we moved, and would welcome a similar service in my area.

Been there done that

[Anonymous Coward]

grocery delivery is so 1998 ... i tried it back then ... I kept getting broken or crappy items ... I ended having to go to the store anyway

They are late to the grocery store, but...

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe to all that, but the problem is that the grocery chain isn't like the regular retail chain. Small margins as already noted, and short shelf life is another. Also another thing that's thwarted other attempts is that the consumer really can't see what they're buying, and are relying on a strangers judgement. People really are particular about their food. As far as the cost of transportation problem? Really not much different than say what UPS, USPO, or Fedex have to deal with.

Forget Delivery

[Strange Ranger]

Please, just let me shop from my phone and then pick it up.
 
Who am I kidding? I'd be thrilled if they could just figure out that the Frozen aisles go last.

Re:Forget Delivery

[sgunhouse]

Actually, that's what they told us this would be - a pick-up service. Maybe they're having an outside contractor handle the actual deliveries, though. (Yes, I currently work there, but I'm not involved with this project.)

Oh, the dairy aisle is last - frozen food is next to last.

Future

[Anonymous Coward]

In the near future supermarkets won't exist. It will be interesting because all food will be portioned to you, you know to stop overpopulation or stop "climate change" or whatever. You won't be able to just go get more food.

Loaf of bread
                                                click to buy with 10 credits

ERROR 23-330044-F9

        You have attempted to purchase more than your allocated 1 loaf of bread per week. Your account will be deducted 3 credits for your error. Your attempt to purchase more than your allocation will be reported to authorities. To avoid further credit deductions report to your nearest community training center for re-learning. If authorities must visit your home, further credit deductions are mandated.

Fuck Walmart. Fuck the new world order. Commie bastards.

Re:well free delivery you need to tip to pay the c

[XFire35]

At ASDA they have company vans which are fuelled/maintained by the company with refrigeration units in the back; it's the same for all of the major supermarkets which do home delivery here, in the UK.

Long standard in the UK

[David Gerard]

Supermarket home delivery has been standard in the UK for almost a decade now. For £4-5, they'll deliver an entire order by truck in several crates. All the major supermarkets do this, though Asda's coverage is spotty. (Asda being of course owned by Wal-Mart!) And you don't have to journey to a hideous fluorescent-lit barn on a Saturday and want to kill every other person there.

The UK is smaller than the US, but for urban or suburban areas this sort of delivery service should be quite doable.

Re:Long standard in the UK

[PatrickThomson]

I had a food load for 10 people delivered to the middle of the yorkshire dales on New Years Eve, so I have a new respect for tesco's universal delivery policy. I think some of the scottish isles you'd be out of luck but it's a lifeline for remote people too!

Re:Long standard in the UK

[Amorya]

I was heading back from Mull last month and I saw a Tesco van join the queue for the ferry...

Re:well free delivery you need to tip to pay the c

[larppaxyz]

I can tell you that here in Finland, we very rarely tip anyone. It's not that we are 'cheap', it's just something we don't do. We of course do tip, if we are in place where it's common (like in USA for example). I think one reason for this is that we have minimium wages and we can be sure, that pizza delivery guy and waiter in restaraunt get's paid eveery two weeks anyway.

Re:well free delivery you need to tip to pay the c

[MMMDI]

I have no idea if it's different in your country, but over here in the US, we have minimum wages as well... only, employers can pay you less if you are allowed to accept tips. Example, the pizza guy who makes the pizza and doesn't take tips? Minimum wage, $7.50 / hour or whatever MW is these days. The delivery guy who actually takes it to your house? $2.00 / hour + tips (maybe slightly more or less than $2, I don't deliver pizza, but you get the idea).

Wal-mart, now Baby-Mart

[sosaited]

Products include fresh produce, meat and seafood, frozen, bakery, baby...

How much are the babies retailing at? And can I get one with brown eyes please.

Thank you Slashdot, I'm in the delivery area!

[keithpreston]

Oh, Slashdot, while you are a wonderful waste of time normally, this time I thank you. I recently moved from the Kansas City Area (1.5 miles from a Walmart Super Center) to San Jose. Prices here are crazy and the closest Walmart Super Center is 20 miles, (10 to normal store). However thanks to Slashdot, I now know that Walmart delivers to my new address and I plan to use the service heavily. The 5.00 delivery fee is easily offset by the savings from the local stores(not to mention gas cost). My first order should be here Tuesday.

As much bashing as you want to do with Walmart, they for the most part sell the exact same products for cheaper. With non-perishable this is especially true. They may not carry all the high-end brands, and typically have a slightly lower quality store-brand for many products, but this doesn't relate to being lower quality overall. As for perishable products, their produce is on par with lower tier (bottom 50%) grocery stores, but if you stick to the stuff that is in season you are golden.

Even if you don't shop at Walmart, you should thank them. Their dedication to efficiency and low prices have lowered prices at all stores including competitors and raised the standard of living for everyone here in the US.

This is news?

[Anonymous Coward]

This is news? It is like saying some gas statin chain is delivering unleaded...
Who cares if it is Wal-Mart. I don-t get the importance really...

Slashdot limits headline length

[tepples]

Slashdot limits headline length, though I'll grant that story length is not so limited. By "delivery" here they mean "ordering for delivery".

All out of electric carts

[stewbacca]

Given the average weight of a wal-mart shopper is about 450 lbs., this is a perfect business model. Bring the ho-hos to the "mass"es.

Asda price?

[DaveHowe]

Interesting. Walmart took over a UK chain called ASDA some years ago, who has a scheme for doing this - staff go and "pick" the goods from the shelves in a real store, just like a normal shopper would, bag them up, do a CNP transaction for the payment, then ship them out in a van to the homes.

Maybe some stuff does flow upstream?

re Cooking

[jelizondo]

I agree with you completely.

I'm working 10-12 hours a day and still manage to cook, given the time limitations, I go for simple foods that can be done in 20-25 minutes.

For example, I just ate a platter of rice with vegetables and broiled chicken breast, total preparation time: 30 minutes.

Half the breast I'm keeping to eat with a fresh salad tomorrow, total preparation time for tomorrow's lunch: 10 minutes.

It's just a matter of organizing one's time and being disciplined about it. Of course, once in a while something happens and I must eat a burger somewhere... but most of the time is nice, healthy food.

Kosmo.com

[Anonymous Coward]

When I first moved to Portland, OR and hung out in the NW section with my female Aveda hairdresser room mate and saw all the other women w/ tattoos in their scantily clad summer clothes I thought it was great... and then Kosmo.com would deliver beer and ice cream to our apt. I thought I was in heaven.

R.I.P. Kosmo.com

Urban expansion? Upscale?

[swb]

How good is their urban presence?

Wal Mart always seems to be a suburban and rural phenomenon. I know they have faced a lot of political opposition to expanding in some/many cities. And their business model of big lots on cheap land selling large quantities of cheap goods isn't always urban friendly, either.

If they could tweak the model for urban areas they might have a shot at more growth; multi-level stores, smaller packaging, or more upscale products they might have a chance at a whole new market segment.

There's only two Wal Marts even remotely close to where I live and they're totally inconvenient to get to. The store with the new remdoel is quite nice, nicer than the a Target, even. It would be nice to have as an alternative to Target.

All major Aussie supermarkets do this already

[Anonymous Coward]

This isn't news. In Australia, both Coles and Woolworths have been doing this for years. Except, very few people use the service, because clearly, they would give you merchandise which is aged.

support local

[Anonymous Coward]

I would rather drive to my employee owned grocery store that has better prices and selection than Wal-Mart.

baby?

[mehu]

Products include fresh produce, meat and seafood, frozen, bakery, baby, [...]

Wow, you can order babies from Wal-Mart now? Wonder if they have an "in-stock" supply, or a made-to-order system w/ a 9-month delivery period.

like it's 1989.

[ebuck]

This is not even last decade. It was called peapod back then.

Online Grocery Delivery

[alexo]

Groceries Over IP? What's the RFC number?

Re:well free delivery you need to tip to pay the c

[ydrol]

I rarely order in food :) I (nowadays) avoid processed food and pre-prepared food as much as I possibly can because I'm a fat-tard, and catering industry likes to leverage our natural desire for fat , sugar and salt, in order to make their food more attractive. Last take-out was about 3 years ago!