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Grocery delivery only really works as a business if you're shipping the orders from a distribution center. I believe Peapod (and others like FreshDirect) use th

by exelius 11y ago

Grocery delivery only really works as a business if you're shipping the orders from a distribution center. I believe Peapod (and others like FreshDirect) use this method: they have a giant warehouse full of food, and they load trucks up for deliveries every morning with the day's deliveries. Instacart is honestly a wholly inferior product. I find myself using it whenever I have a craving for something specific and I'm willing to drastically overpay for it. The few times I have used it for grocery delivery, it was way overpriced and the shopper couldn't find half of the things on my list (so I wasn't able to make either meal I had purchased the ingredients for). The only benefit I see from Instacart is 1-hour delivery (most grocery delivery services require you to order at least the day before).

biggc 11y ago
"Grocery delivery only really works as a business if you're shipping the orders from a distribution center" In Montreal a lot of grocery stores offer delivery for a couple of dollars as a norm, although the orders would usually be placed over the phone, you also had the option of shopping at the store and having your groceries delivered in a few hours. It was only after I left that I realised grocery delivery was not the norm in most places. Example: http://www.supermarchepa.com/eng/services/delivery.html http://www.supermarchepa.com/eng/services/delivery.html
- exelius 11y ago
  Sorry; I should have said grocery delivery only scales past a single neighborhood without a distribution center. You're certainly right; grocery delivery was more or less a regular service before the advent of the massive suburban supermarket.
ghaff 11y ago
I didn't love Peapod either when I used it admittedly a long time ago because they regularly didn't deliver some items--even some I thought would have been very common--and made weird substitutions. I only used them while I had a broken foot and was on crutches because, although I could drive around and even go to the store easily enough, doing a full grocery shopping would have been a pain. I do know people in SF without a car who do use Instacart regularly but, for me, it's easy enough to hop in the car and go to the store. I also buy mostly unprepared food so I'd just as soon look at it anyway. I don't actually have Instacart available in my area anyway.

by exelius 11y ago

biggc 11y ago

"Grocery delivery only really works as a business if you're shipping the orders from a distribution center" In Montreal a lot of grocery stores offer delivery for a couple of dollars as a norm, although the orders would usually be placed over the phone, you also had the option of shopping at the store and having your groceries delivered in a few hours. It was only after I left that I realised grocery delivery was not the norm in most places. Example: http://www.supermarchepa.com/eng/services/delivery.html http://www.supermarchepa.com/eng/services/delivery.html

exelius 11y ago
Sorry; I should have said grocery delivery only scales past a single neighborhood without a distribution center. You're certainly right; grocery delivery was more or less a regular service before the advent of the massive suburban supermarket.

ghaff 11y ago

I didn't love Peapod either when I used it admittedly a long time ago because they regularly didn't deliver some items--even some I thought would have been very common--and made weird substitutions. I only used them while I had a broken foot and was on crutches because, although I could drive around and even go to the store easily enough, doing a full grocery shopping would have been a pain. I do know people in SF without a car who do use Instacart regularly but, for me, it's easy enough to hop in the car and go to the store. I also buy mostly unprepared food so I'd just as soon look at it anyway. I don't actually have Instacart available in my area anyway.