I gotta jump in on this one. I think you're right Eric. In casual
conversation we have talked to an upscale grocery store about ordering via
the web. They're not quite ready though they do a huge business selling
specialty foods to corporations. Personally I would love to be able to do
my grocery shopping on the web. I'm frequently too busy to shop and we
resort to fast food. Imagine the efficiency of strolling down a virtual
aisle and picking out cans, staples etc.
At first glance you'd think that only a global chain would consider grocery
shopping online, however when you consider the heavy advertising dollars
being spent by specialty food stores on billboards, newspaper ads, and
seasonal glossy catalogues, a website is cheap!
Admittedly we are a bit ahead of the pack, but I hope to see grocery stores
online soon. The existing alternative of course is fax ordering. But it
lacks the visual dimension of a graphic website and the self-tallying perl
shopping basket ;-)
We're creating electronic grocery shopping and what we've learned is that
you're both right.
To begin, the retailer has the consumer franchise. It's the vehicle that
on-line groceries need to be offered and delviered through, not Fed Express.
The immediate opportunity exists for retailers offering the service through
their stores. Eventually, as the share of sales allows it, it can be picked
and delivered through a less costly distributuion center.
Online shopping needs to be offered through the local store in individual
trade areas from where the stores already draw their customers.
Steve
----
This week's sponsor:
Marketing to Women Online Conference &lt;<a href="<a href="http://kelseygroup.com/kelsey">http://kelseygroup.com/kelsey</a>">http://kelseygroup.com/kelsey</a>&gt;
Sponsor the Internet Marketing Discussion List! See the URL
&lt;<a href="<a href="http://www.popco.com/hyper/internet-marketing/sponsor.html">http://www.popco.com/hyper/internet-marketing/sponsor.html</a>">http://www.popco.com/hyper/internet-marketing/sponsor.html</a>&gt; for details
Post a message to this group by filling in the form below.