Online purchases of consumer packaged goods from disposable diapers to processed food will more than double to $25 billion by 2014, information and measurement company Nielsen said on Monday.
Wal-Mart, Kroger and Amazon are all getting into the game: Online ordering of groceries. Right now, about 2% of all purchases are made online and, as the quote says, that’s going to double in the next couple of years.
You may recall companies trying this back in the late-90’s. Most of them became victims of the dot-com bust. e-Commerce has come a long way since then, as well as some new ideas about shipping and distribution.
Lately, there have been some product-specific online retailers that have had some success-names like Soap.com and Diapers.com. Amazon recently snapped them up for about a half-billion dollars, so I guess they’re serious about the trend!
So, what do you think? Have you ordered groceries online? Would you? What kinds of things would you order? Let us know!
* * * * *
Stay tuned for our next post, when we will meet the winners of our 10,000 Facebook Fan Giveaway!!
I haven’t ordered groceries online from a grocery store like Safeway, but I have ordered a few grocery items from Amazon.com. I would LOVE to order from my local grocery store online!
I think it isn’t just a matter of ordering on line. I think an age group needs marketing specific to that group to become a targeted population. As we becomme more and more dependent on the internet it is a certainty more and more people will be purchasing services on line. Baby boomers who have grown into an economic and educational acknowledgement of the necessity for understanding the internet will definately use the service as their ability to motivate comes into question. Have I shopped online? No, not really although I have looked and will probably do so as computerized on line programs for couponing and rebates become more available.
I would love to order from online. It isnt offered here yet
I have ordered grocies from netgrocer I believe and had them shipped when we were vacationing! It was great!
I’ve ordered a few things from Amazon.com as they are cheaper than buying them in the store. It will be interesting to see if the trend picks up. Talk about convenience but i can only imagine the cost would be quite a bit more than in store.
Sounds like a wonderful convenience, but will it be cost effective?
I prefer the shopping experience at the store. I enjoy getting out and seeing others and seeing what the store is offering, however, I can certainly see a time when buying groceries on line would be a definite advantage, i.e. save gas, avoid traffic and or bad weather. I would imagine the shipping cost would be something to consider.
I have never ordered groceries online and it is not something I would want to do. I can see, though, that it could be helpful. However, I can not imagine it being acceptable because of the high cost of shipping that would be involved and also delivery to addresses where no one is at home. I have ordered cosmetics from cosmetic vendors online and I have also ordered drug store items via drugstore.com. I don’t like to use online ordering for medications or food items as I simply prefer to make certain I am getting them in hand and not on my doorstep.
Carol – I can see society becoming more and more isolated from the visual impact of community/shopping if more of our routine shopping activities are done online. Seeing others – whether they are our actual acquaintances or not – is a very important part of remaining a social individual.
Also, friends, what about the use of coupons and taking advantage of super sales? A careful in-store shopper can really save.
I have never ordered groceries online and it is not something I would want to do. I can see, though, that it could be helpful. However, I can not imagine it being acceptable because of the high cost of shipping that would be involved and also delivery to addresses where no one is at home. I have ordered cosmetics from cosmetic vendors online and I have also ordered drug store items via drugstore.com. I don’t like to use online ordering for medications or food items as I simply prefer to make certain I am getting them in hand and not on my doorstep.
I buy groceries online frequently. I allows me to purchase unusual brands or favorite regional ingredients (herbs and seasonings, dried wild mushrooms, coffee, dog/cat food, ethnic foods) not found in local stores. Many websites offer free shipping if you order their minimum amount. I can shop at 2am in my bathrobe, and my groceries show up a few days later at my door. What’s not to like?
I think there are only a few stores in my area that have on-line shopping. I am still undecided about the concept. I can see how it would be to my advantage, especially now that my disabilities are getting progressively worse. The only thing is, right now, if I want something, well, I want it this minute! Not three days from now.
I would if it would be more cost effective in the long run!
I order specialty items that I cannot find in a grocery store. I don’t mind going to the store and getting out of the house for a bit :).