Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] paying the sales tax

["Jonathan King" <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Dec 2, 2007 1:57 AM, Mike Miller <EMAIL:PROTECTED> wrote:
> On Sat, 1 Dec 2007, Michael wrote:
>
> > I still think it's a very workable business idea. You can get the
> > benefits of shopping online and shopping from a local brick and mortar
> > all in one place so why not use it? Heck, people are ordering toilets
> > and shower stalls from me online so I think I could sell darn near
> > anything and get it delivered.
>
> Definitely true with groceries.  If you can make a good web interface that
> remembers people's shopping lists, offers sale prices, etc., people will
> be happy to pay a little more to have someone grab and bag their groceries
> for them.

Schnuck's used to offer this in Columbia, but I don't know if is/was a
success for them. Some of you .com types might remember Peapod, which
was in the grocery delivery business as well. They had hard times, but
amazingly enough they do still exist. They are apparently doing okay
in the DC metro area, partnered with (I believe) Giant.

Like a lot of things, to make something like this really work, it
looks like you generally either need to really low density (where the
service is then a lot like mail order) or really high density (where
you have the stores, but driving to them can be arbitrarily painful).
In a place like Columbia, people are still just as likely to hop in
the car and drive to the store. Which reminds me: you folks have three
Wal*Marts now, right? Has this had any effect on traffic?

jking

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