PSA - Amazon Fresh pulls plug on some delivery areas in several states

[Svnla]

Oh no, what would Amazon addicts do now? Have to get their stuffs/groceries at the stores? Oh the horror.

In an email sent to customers across parts of California, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, Amazon.com Inc. told customers their Fresh memberships would run until its last day of service on Nov. 30. The company didn't include an explanation or reasoning behind the decision to stop its same-day/next-day delivery of fresh produce and perishables.

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/...esh-pulls-plug-on-some-delivery-areas-in.html

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Neither. Costco for life.

 

[Ns1]

I haven't seen an Amazon Fresh truck in eons.

Costco for life.

Costco won't bring 5 bags of groceries to your home and up 3 flights of stairs.

 

[Chaotic42]

Neither. Costco for life.

I wish they'd modernize their checkout system. It's absolute mayhem there.

 

[allisolm]

I wish they'd modernize their checkout system. It's absolute mayhem there.

Costco needs an app like Sam's Scan & Go. It eliminates the necessity of going through a register completely.

 

[Chaotic42]

Costco needs an app like Sam's Scan & Go. It eliminates the necessity of going through a register completely.

I miss the way military commissaries do it: Everyone gets in one line and as a checkout station opens, they're directed to it. So much nicer than the lines at Costco that just spread throughout the store with no one being able to tell which line is active and where it goes.

But yeah, that app sounds like it would be nice. Weren't we supposed to just be able to walk through a scanner and have everything charged immediately by now?

 

[ponyo]

I haven't seen an Amazon Fresh truck in eons.



Costco won't bring 5 bags of groceries to your home and up 3 flights of stairs.

Not true. Costco has home grocery delivery now. https://www.costco.com/grocery-household.html
But I think all these companies are dumb. It's hard to make the numbers work for home grocery delivery. Does no one remember Webvan and the billions it lost on the stupid home grocery delivery idea? So Amazon is finding out firsthand it isn't special. Costco will learn too. But at least Costco added the delivery cost by raising the price of each grocery item eligible for delivery. They do the same for other online items and add the shipping cost by raising the price of online item to include the shipping. So Costco won't necessary lose money on grocery delivery. Not too much anyway.

 

[Ns1]

Not true. Costco has home grocery delivery now. https://www.costco.com/grocery-household.html
But I think all these companies are dumb. It's hard to make the numbers work for home grocery delivery. Does no one remember Webvan and the billions it lost on the stupid home grocery delivery idea? So Amazon is finding out firsthand it isn't special. Costco will learn too. But at least Costco added the delivery cost by raising the price of each grocery item eligible for delivery. They do the same for other online items and add the shipping cost by raising the price of online item to include the shipping. So Costco won't necessary lose money on grocery delivery. Not too much anyway.

Well this totally defeats the purpose.

Purchase in the warehouse and save.

• Selection and delivery are the most expensive part of the online shopping process, as compared to buying in the warehouse. At Costco, we do our best to keep costs to a minimum, but added delivery and other fulfillment costs included in the purchase price and in separate service fees on orders means that items purchased from Costco Same-day will be more expensive than if the same products are purchased at a warehouse.

 

[Svnla]

Neither. Costco for life.

You know I had been to Costo a few times and I really do not know what was all the love about. The prices from some of the items I checked (pants, jeans, rice bag, etc.) were very much in the same ballpark figures as with Sams. The checkout lanes were as crowded and crazy as Sams. And so on. I understand that Costco is paying its employees better and employees seem to be happier but as a consumer, I really do not see what the big deal was. Like Chevy vs. Ford, neck to neck.

 

[Chaotic42]

You know I had been to Costo a few times and I really do not know what was all the love about. The prices from some of the items I checked (pants, jeans, rice bag, etc.) were very much in the same ballpark figures as with Sams. I understand that Costco is paying its employees better and employees seem to be happier but as a consumer, I really do not see what the big deal was. Like Chevy vs. Ford, neck to neck.

It looks exactly like a Sam's Club inside. If not for the branding, they'd be identical, at least the ones I've been to.

 

[ponyo]

Well this totally defeats the purpose.

Unlike Amazon, Costco actually has to make money or Wall St will punish them. There's no free lunch unless you're Amazon. At least Costco won't go broke because of their online grocery losses.

 

[ponyo]

You know I had been to Costo a few times and I really do not know what was all the love about. The prices from some of the items I checked (pants, jeans, rice bag, etc.) were very much in the same ballpark figures as with Sams. The checkout lanes were as crowded and crazy as Sams. And so on. I understand that Costco is paying its employees better and employees seem to be happier but as a consumer, I really do not see what the big deal was. Like Chevy vs. Ford, neck to neck.

It's inventory selection and brands. Both stores look the same but the type of items carried and the brands are superior at Costco. Differences are subtle if you're casual shopper but vast if you're knowledgeable shopper. But I read Sam's is trying to go after more affluent shoppers. I read some good things about their new high end butcher shops which carry Kobe and other high end meats and lot more USDA Prime. If they ever expand that to my local Sam, I will rejoin Sam's Club.

 

[Kaido]

Food delivery is a good idea in theory, but a poor idea in practice. Not because it's a bad service, but because of human psychology. People don't know what they want & people don't plan ahead. Very few people create meal plans ahead of time on a regular basis. Heck, I cook a ton and I still have trouble being consistent at making & following shopping lists. Plus, you get to see new products when you're in the store...like I just picked up a box of salted caramel Oreo thins & they are pretty awesome!

If they can figure out how to lower the costs on stuff like Hello Fresh or Blue Apron (which I know Amazon is working on), then maybe it will take off, because most people have the ability to follow a meal kit, if you're given everything you need, along with step-by-step instructions. I thought it was a really stupid idea at first, but it really does take a lot of the mental load off of you for making dinner at home...you know the recipe is going to be good, you know you have everything, you don't have to wander around the store looking for ingredients, you don't have to pick a recipe that may or may not be delicious, you don't have to make your own shopping list, you just order a meal kit & follow the instructions & boom, a healthy, tasty dinner at home. It's actually a pretty great idea, the prices just need to get more reasonable if they want people to use them more often.