Part of the problem is that supermarkets are designed to pessimize picking efficiency while fulfillment centers are designed to optimize it. Maybe “pessimize” i

Part of the problem is that supermarkets are designed to pessimize picking efficiency while fulfillment centers are designed to optimize it. Maybe “pessimize” is too strong a word, but a supermarket wants to route you all the way around the damn store just to buy produce, meat, milk, and bread just so you have to see all their promotional end cap displays and maybe wander down an aisle or two. And since it takes so much time to go grocery shopping, you don’t have time to actually cook that same night so why not pick up a hot chicken dinner while you’re there? On your way out you have to stand in line surrounded by tabloids, women’s magazines, candy bars, gum, maybe some cold drinks. It’s a good hustle and I don’t really begrudge them at all, but it’s diametrically opposed to the goals of efficiently fulfilling e-commerce orders.