Back in the latter part of the 90’s several companies tried a concept whereby a consumer could order their groceries online and have them delivered to their residence. On paper this sounded great but unfortunately the project didn’t take off and one company, Webvan, lost millions of dollars in the process. Yet the concept continues to be explored and other companies are experimenting with similar projects including the delivery of gourmet foods.

Amazon is toying with the idea of resurrecting online grocery purchases once again. In the Seattle area Amazon is trying a ‘beta’ grocery program for the residents of Mercer Island. The ‘beta’ program is by invite only and the test results are not being made public as of yet.

In the seattlepi.com article the author states:

Amazon.com, the Internet retailer known for its massive book sales, started delivering groceries Wednesday directly to consumers’ doorsteps on Mercer Island as part of a pilot program that’s expected to include pickup service in Bellevue and Kirkland.

The program lets customers order online and then have the products delivered the next day during a one-hour time slot of their choosing.

With a dozen Amazon Fresh refrigerated trucks, the company for the first time is delivering products directly to the doors of customers instead of relying on a third-party service such as UPS or the U.S. Postal Service.

So what do you think? Would you buy your groceries online and have them delivered to your door for a price?

Full article here.

Comments welcome.

Tags: amazon, seattle, mercer island, grocery, delivery