Going to the grocery store ranks as one of Patty Silva’s most dreaded chores. Now that Silva can shop online and pick everything up by driving through her Pinecrest neighborhood Farm Store later that day, she is in heaven.
The Miami-based Farm Stores chain is counting on the fact that there are lots more potential time-stressed customers like Silva, willing to pay a $4.95 fee for the convenience of online grocery shopping.
But while the interest among consumers like Silva has long been there for online grocery shopping, the graveyard is littered with more failures than successes both in South Florida and across the country. The list ranges from PublixDirect to high-profile Internet start-ups like Webvan.
Because of the high costs associated with distribution and delivery, online grocers have had a difficult time generating the volume necessary to turn a profit. The few success stories are typically concentrated in such urban markets as New York City or Chicago, or supermarkets just offering online ordering and store pick-up.
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