Buying groceries online is not a new idea. It has been tried before but Amazon brings years of distribution expertise to the idea. Jessica Mintz, reporting for Associated Press, gave it a try:

“…Aside from the excessive number of bags, Amazon’s delivery got a perfect score. Ice cream? Frozen. Lettuce? Crispy. Eggs? Unbroken. Salmon? Refrigerator-temperature, well-sealed and from a nearby town. Amazon also gave us free “complimentary samples,” including an extra dozen eggs and a family-sized bag of pre-washed salad mix.

It turns out that 89 cents was a steal for the nectarines, which were as big as softballs.”

link: Review: Amazon delivers groceries on time, but site lacks bells

For a free service and for a concept in a test-market phase, Ms Mintz seems to give this grocery part of Amazon’s operations high marks. The idea might be well received by those who are so time challenged that grocery shopping becomes pushed further and further down the priority list. Personally, grocery shopping is a routine that is a nice part of my weekly schedule, away from the computer and away from other demands. Pushing about that cart is relaxing. I know that I don’t want to see incoming email and site alert problems, while I am deciding on the vegetables for the next couple of suppers. I am probably not a grocery-multitasking kind of person… at least, not yet. I would fall into the “uncool” category of Amazon’s demographics.

Catherine Forsythe

[tags]amazon, groceries, internet shopping, test marketing, free[/tags]