More grocery delivery services are springing up, aiming to satisfy growing consumer demand for convenient shopping experiences.
Most retailers allow customers to place orders online and have them delivered later that day or the next morning. Some companies work with services like USPS, which is testing grocery deliveries in New York City, San Diego and other markets.
“This is especially a good thing for stores in big cities. We all know the Saturday afternoon lines in the grocery stores are a pain,” Fanyin Zheng, a Columbia Business School assistant professor, told the Chicago Tribune this month.
Grocery deliveries previously experienced a resurgence during the 1990s dot-com heyday, but the rise of broadband and mobile technology has made ordering easier for many consumers.
There are challenges, however: Products have a short shelf life, and some consumers may not want retailers choosing their fruits and vegetables for them.
Nevertheless, Darrin Duber-Smith, a marketing professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver, predicts the services will continue growing.
“We have an aging population and a large disabled population, so the idea of delivering things to that community will grow,” he told the Tribune.