Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
That said - NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO.... to food delivery.
They need to do what they do best. What do they not do best? Well, they are passport acceptance agencies.... and it takes them 30-45 minutes to process an application. It takes us a third or quarter of the time.
We wonder if there is is an effort to slow down so that they don't have to process many?
My local post office is well known for it's sluggishness. I can mail a letter to Wisconsin and it will get there faster than one cross -town.
I really feel for the hard workers at the USPS. Our mailman is exceptional. There are too many bad apples there..... and they need to be gone.
One aspect of this that I do not remember having been discussed yet is the potential size of the market for having groceries delivered. Since customers would have to be willing to pay for the delivery, it means their food costs would go up. Therefore it seems to me there are basically two groups of people who would avail themselves of this service (whether by the post office or by various already-existing options):
1. Rich people who don't care much about the increased costs and value the convenience and time savings of not shopping for groceries.
2. People who can no longer drive for whatever reasons; for them the increased costs would be a lot less than taking a taxi to do grocery shopping.
It seems to me that the number of potential customers would be rather small.
One aspect of this that I do not remember having been discussed yet is the potential size of the market for having groceries delivered. Since customers would have to be willing to pay for the delivery, it means their food costs would go up. Therefore it seems to me there are basically two groups of people who would avail themselves of this service (whether by the post office or by various already-existing options):
1. Rich people who don't care much about the increased costs and value the convenience and time savings of not shopping for groceries.
2. People who can no longer drive for whatever reasons; for them the increased costs would be a lot less than taking a taxi to do grocery shopping.
It seems to me that the number of potential customers would be rather small.
You pose these issues as if this is a brand-new phenomenon that has never been researched or attempted. In many areas of the country, grocery delivery is a normal, every-day occurrence that is conducted by the grocers themselves. We used delivery service on occasion in both Bethesda and Las Vegas. One does not need to be "rich" nor incapacitated in order to be willing to use such services; we found the cost to be nominal. I don't remember the exact charge, but it was under $10. That seems a fair charge to be able to shop on line and have your selections delivered to you rather than driving to a store, pushing a shopping cart up and down aisles, then standing in line to check out, pushing the cart out of the store to the parking lot, unloading the groceries in your car, and then driving home again. Will someone pinching pennies to get by and/or living Social Security check to Social Security check use this service? No, of course not; not unless circumstances leave them unable to shop for themselves. But neither is this something only "rich" people will use. Some (Many?) may think that ten bucks is a small charge for such convenience.
The only thing new here is that instead of grocery store employees making the deliveries in grocery-store-owned vehicles and charging customers directly for this service, the USPO will be doing it. If anything, the market could be expanded because grocers who may not want to make the capital investment in trucks and employees, might offer the service through the USPO.
One aspect of this that I do not remember having been discussed yet is the potential size of the market for having groceries delivered. Since customers would have to be willing to pay for the delivery, it means their food costs would go up. Therefore it seems to me there are basically two groups of people who would avail themselves of this service (whether by the post office or by various already-existing options):
1. Rich people who don't care much about the increased costs and value the convenience and time savings of not shopping for groceries.
2. People who can no longer drive for whatever reasons; for them the increased costs would be a lot less than taking a taxi to do grocery shopping.
It seems to me that the number of potential customers would be rather small.
But consider Amazon. I could get someone to drive me to the nearest town with more than Walmart, and buy most of what I get there. But why? I pay less on Amazon, no tax, and get *exactly* what I want. And I've found things which I didn't know exist to solve problems. And even if I *had* a car I'd still order online. Its easy and with the other advantages, its perfect.
If I could get my groceries delivered I would. I'd get a ride for milk unless Brahms decided to deliver. May suggest it.... Most of what I use comes delivered now so adding cans of soup and the like would not be a problem.
Fresh stuff is a good question. But then many people aren't that picky and for the convience would take day old stuff. The other advantage I've found is that when you order online you buy what you were intending to buy. Or you may buy something you've never seen but were looking for something which filled the need. You don't fill up the front of the cart with suprise sales, that would be neat to have items and so on. So it saves in two ways.
I think they were talking with Amazon as a carrier and it would be great if they pull it off.
And I fit both... I appreciate the convience but do not have a car since I'm not rich enough to afford one. I say go for it!
Looks like Amazon has thrown in the towel. And the USPS will soon be out of this business nationwide after a few distircts have already been dropped. Recode story
While blaming the USPS for unreliability there is also the mention that no other company was willing to do it at the price Amazon was willing to pay. Giving super express mail like service with small delivery two hour windows, not just before noon, was killing the postal service in operating cost when they were being paid as if it was media rate mail.
I gave up my car so no more and no more auto costs. I get Von's grocery delivery two times a month, Whole Foods delivery now and then and friends help me in between. When I do get out with a friend, I can often drop into a market for a few things.
I've had all of my groceries delivered for the last 10 years.
Grocery delivery is not a new thing at all. It goes back at least 12 or 14 years in cities.
And I haven't actually set foot in a grocery store for the last 8 or 10 years.
I've lived in cities for the past 10 years (and before) which have grocery delivery options in those cities, including fresh fruits and fresh vegetables from the groceries.
So I'm all for it!
With Instacart.com which is one of the grocery delivery options serving my city and many other cities across the U.S., there is a space next to each item online for notes - so I put notes in like 'fresh and firm only, no soft spots, no bad spots, want only if fresh and firm, high quality only, otherwise do not need'.....for fresh produce. So everything is always top quality - by using the notes.
Instacart.com uses local grocery stores in each city.
And one of the other grocery delivery services in my city brings me only the highest quality fresh produce - even without the notes, as this particular service doesn't have notes.
I also use Walmart.com online for some food items like jars of Mezzetta Kalamata olives, and jars of Mezzetta Roasted Red Peppers. Walmart.com has lots of food items.
Last edited by matisse12; 11-16-2017 at 11:08 PM..
I truly don't see a problem with at least trying it. As others have said, it would benefit many people, plus it would almost certainly mean more employment, I think.
I order pet food through Chewy's, and I couldn't be happier -- so why should ordering and having human food delivered be any different?
As far as perishables, I CAN see why that might present problems in warm climates or in the summer -- but when and where it is cold, I think it would be VERY welcome to many people. So, to repeat, why not start with non-perishables on a TRIAL basis, and then if it works out, try delivering meat and dairy on a trial basis. Nothing ventured, nothing gained (to use a cliche).
And, no, I don't think food costs would go up because I think the extra charges for this would be reflected in the delivery/service charges.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
