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In my opinion these are the three things that can't really be all achieved under current technology/infrastructure: cheap delivery, fast delivery, and delivery

In my opinion these are the three things that can't really be all achieved under current technology/infrastructure: cheap delivery, fast delivery, and delivery workers that are not miserable. The illusion of all three being achieved at some point is because they are running at a loss of VC's investment money. Eventually investors will demand profitability, and one of the following happens: fees go up, deliveries get slower, workers become miserable. This is also what bothers me with this new "hire others to run errands for you" industry. These are things you might find bothersome (go out to buy food, buy groceries, etc), but their perceived value as compared to the things you're buying is so incredibly small, that any "fair" compensation for the person doing it would discourage most people from paying for the service in the first place. At its core, the amazement of "wow, the delivery of my groceries is so fast and cheap" is not at the shiny technology that makes it possible, but rather the amazement at "wow, there are people willing to do this for such a small amount of money".

bombcar 4y ago
I think you could get all three (the holy trinity) in some cases - but those would be pretty small areas (think: the five-ten minute walkable area around a grocery store - basically the distance you could get a bagger to run something over to you on his break for a fiver if you knew them well). Once you're trying to pay for gas, maintenance, capital expense on a vehicle even if it is scooter, you're going to have to have delivery charges that rival the cost of what is being delivered. Dominos perfected it (though they also depend on "customer tips" to offset the delivery costs for the driver); I'm not sure groceries are a high-enough margin business to sustain it for the long run (outside of perhaps a mile or so around a grocery store).

bombcar 4y ago

I think you could get all three (the holy trinity) in some cases - but those would be pretty small areas (think: the five-ten minute walkable area around a grocery store - basically the distance you could get a bagger to run something over to you on his break for a fiver if you knew them well). Once you're trying to pay for gas, maintenance, capital expense on a vehicle even if it is scooter, you're going to have to have delivery charges that rival the cost of what is being delivered. Dominos perfected it (though they also depend on "customer tips" to offset the delivery costs for the driver); I'm not sure groceries are a high-enough margin business to sustain it for the long run (outside of perhaps a mile or so around a grocery store).