4 ms·

You clearly like Instacart, and that's fine, but I strongly disagree with you that they've built something better than the grocery store. For starters, right n

You clearly like Instacart, and that's fine, but I strongly disagree with you that they've built something better than the grocery store. For starters, right now they depend on grocery stores existing for their business, otherwise they are exactly like WebVan. Also, grocery shopping is nothing like postal delivery. You don't choose what mail you want, you just take everything that's addressed to you. Obviously this varies from person to person, but some people actually like choosing their ingredients and meals and deciding what they want to eat - the opposite extreme for this is to buy Soylent. Every time I've used Instacart they've made annoying substitutions that cost me money and weren't what I wanted, and the hassle of explaining item for item substitutions with back and forth texts is just frustrating. I've only used it a few times, but I've never had a pleasant experience with Instacart where I got everything I wanted - and this is ignoring the added cost and "convenience" of using their service. > There is a lot to gain by becoming the market leader in a service like ride sharing or grocery shopping. There is no evidence of this. In fact, there is a lot of evidence that these companies are losing money. > All these are obvious next steps for Instacart, which wisely sees Grocery stores as a relic of the past ready to be replaced by something better. Just because you don't like grocery stores doesn't mean they're going to disappear. Honestly, you sound like a shill paid by Instacart, but I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt that you just really like their product.

grandalf 10y ago
Hah. I wish I were getting paid to do this. Maybe I do particularly dislike grocery shopping. Everywhere I've lived it's been a real drag: Midwest: In the store with lowest prices you spend half your time shopping and half waiting to get through checkout. Whole Foods is pleasant but overpriced. Mariano's is somewhere in the middle. NYC: Great small boutique grocery stores, much more expensive than Whole Foods, unbearably crowded at peak times, packed full of customers who are tripping over each other. Employees look ready to burst from the stress at any moment. Lower-end stores stock a very small number of items and are also overpriced. Not all neighborhoods have walking access to a larger, higher quality store like Whole Foods. SF: Whole Foods is a zoo and is undersized and frequently sold out. Safeway lacks many of the higher quality items but only offers paper bags which are a nightmare to carry if you walked. Safeway delivers but the quality of service is poor, and you are guaranteed to get the produce they had to get rid of that day. Parking to shop at any of these is a unique nightmare. I don't think I'm alone in not enjoying most of these experiences, or at least preferring to avoid them most of the time. Instacart may be losing money (who knows) but likely has ample room to increase prices. Uber and Lyft are both burning money and nobody cares.
- MegaButts 10y ago
  Fair enough. Instacart may not be for me, but I'm glad it works for you.
dang 10y ago
> you sound like a shill This isn't allowed here, and we ban accounts that do it, so please don't do it again.
- MegaButts 10y ago
  > The market is very big and it's a basic need that most people have. > With Instacart, the value add is such a no brainer. > All these are obvious next steps for Instacart, which wisely sees Grocery stores as a relic of the past ready to be replaced by something better. > Instacart has found a better way. > It all arrives as if by magic. I should have cited my evidence, but that seems excessively positive to me. I wasn't trying to be inflammatory, I thought he came across as someone trying too hard to promote the company. I'll try to be less accusatory in the future.
  - dang 10y ago
    Right, to go from "seems excessively positive to me" (you put that very well) to astroturfing/shillage is an enormous non sequitur that is easy to fall into on the internet. It's corrosive of civil discourse, so we don't allow it on HN. Actual astroturfing or shillage is of course not allowed either, but that's almost an entirely separate problem from people slinging accusations around over-easily.
    - MegaButts 10y ago
      Fair enough.

grandalf 10y ago

Hah. I wish I were getting paid to do this. Maybe I do particularly dislike grocery shopping. Everywhere I've lived it's been a real drag: Midwest: In the store with lowest prices you spend half your time shopping and half waiting to get through checkout. Whole Foods is pleasant but overpriced. Mariano's is somewhere in the middle. NYC: Great small boutique grocery stores, much more expensive than Whole Foods, unbearably crowded at peak times, packed full of customers who are tripping over each other. Employees look ready to burst from the stress at any moment. Lower-end stores stock a very small number of items and are also overpriced. Not all neighborhoods have walking access to a larger, higher quality store like Whole Foods. SF: Whole Foods is a zoo and is undersized and frequently sold out. Safeway lacks many of the higher quality items but only offers paper bags which are a nightmare to carry if you walked. Safeway delivers but the quality of service is poor, and you are guaranteed to get the produce they had to get rid of that day. Parking to shop at any of these is a unique nightmare. I don't think I'm alone in not enjoying most of these experiences, or at least preferring to avoid them most of the time. Instacart may be losing money (who knows) but likely has ample room to increase prices. Uber and Lyft are both burning money and nobody cares.

MegaButts 10y ago
Fair enough. Instacart may not be for me, but I'm glad it works for you.

dang 10y ago

> you sound like a shill This isn't allowed here, and we ban accounts that do it, so please don't do it again.

MegaButts 10y ago
> The market is very big and it's a basic need that most people have. > With Instacart, the value add is such a no brainer. > All these are obvious next steps for Instacart, which wisely sees Grocery stores as a relic of the past ready to be replaced by something better. > Instacart has found a better way. > It all arrives as if by magic. I should have cited my evidence, but that seems excessively positive to me. I wasn't trying to be inflammatory, I thought he came across as someone trying too hard to promote the company. I'll try to be less accusatory in the future.
- dang 10y ago
  Right, to go from "seems excessively positive to me" (you put that very well) to astroturfing/shillage is an enormous non sequitur that is easy to fall into on the internet. It's corrosive of civil discourse, so we don't allow it on HN. Actual astroturfing or shillage is of course not allowed either, but that's almost an entirely separate problem from people slinging accusations around over-easily.
  - MegaButts 10y ago
    Fair enough.