[tabi] Re: a new internet grocery store
- From: "Betsy" <betsaw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:59:06 -0400
This site has great potential, but my first 45 minutes with it have been a
little frustrating. I had to load window eyes to even see the sign up process
and it still wasn't labeled very well so had to guess what they wanted in the
fields. Lots of trial and error. So far, browsing is tedious and I cannot add
products to my list; nothing happens, but the selection is good and I'll keep
playing until I figure it out.
All that to say, not too user friendly yet, but I think it will be worth the
effort to make it work.
Betsy
----- Original Message -----
From: Chip Orange
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 3:10 PM
Subject: [tabi] a new internet grocery store
Hi all,
here's a very interesting article from unclutterer.com
Convenient dry goods delivery from Alice.com
A couple months ago, I was given the opportunity to be a beta-beta tester for
Alice.com
. (A gamma tester?) It's a dry goods grocery delivery service where you place
an
order online and then have the items shipped directly to your home.
The prices are comparable to what you might find in a big box store like
Costco or
Sam's Club, but the products are sized like what you would buy in a grocery
store
or pharmacy. All with the added convenience of not having to go to a store
(and there
is no charge for shipping). You can set up a shopping list and reminders, so
that
every few weeks or a couple times a year (you set the schedule) you receive a
notification
from Alice.com telling you that you might be getting low on toilet paper or
deodorant
or shampoo.
I've gone shopping on Alice, paid for my order, and received a shipment. For
as much
as I ordered, I was genuinely surprised at how little packaging they used. It
all
fit in a reasonably sized box and the box broke down easily to go into our
recycling
bin. Everything about the process was convenient.
wp-content/uploads/090623-alice2.jpg
And I think that is why I liked it so much. It's convenient. I'm incredibly
busy
and the last thing I want to do is have to run to the store to pick up toilet
paper
when we inevitably run out at 10:00 at night. Now, I get a notice once a
month asking
me if I need toilet paper, and if my supplies are low, I order more. I make a
few
clicks with my mouse in less than a minute and toilet paper appears two days
later.
Right now, since they're still in beta, they're only carrying the major
brands. But,
they're in negotiations with smaller manufacturers to increase their
inventory. They
actually carried my favorite brand of all of the supplies I ordered, so I
didn't
notice that anything was missing. During testing, though, I noted one or two
types
of products that weren't on their inventory and
poof!
after I suggested the product it appeared on the list a few days later. So,
I know
they're listening to consumer requests. The interface is easy to use, too,
and these
cute little cartoon people guide you through the site:
wp-content/uploads/090623-alice3.jpg
I think about my friends who have infants at home and barely have time to
shower,
and how nice it would be for them if diapers just appeared on their
doorsteps. I
think about my friends who live in downtown New York who have to take 20
minute train
rides to get to the closest big box store, and how much time it would save
them if
their dry good items could simply be delivered. Since I buy the vast majority
of
my food through our local farmer's market, Alice.com saves me from having to
make
a second shopping trip to the grocery store. It's extremely convenient for
busy people.
It removes an errand/chore from my weekly schedule and allows me to spend
that time
doing something that matters more to me. It's simple and uncluttered, for my
life.
Granted, this service isn't for everyone. If you like going to the grocery
store
and smelling products and first touching what you're going to buy, then you
won't
like getting your dry goods delivered. It also takes 15 to 20 minutes to put
together
your initial order (at least that is what it took me) which isn't much of a
time
saver on that first trip. Subsequent trips are just seconds, however, since
you have
an established shopping list. Also, if you buy a lot of small production
goods, it
might take a while for those to become available as contracts are negotiated
between
Alice and those manufacturers.
What do you think about dry goods being delivered to your door? To me, it's a
lot
like Netflix or Amazon, just with the specific grocery angle. If you're
interested
in trying it for yourself, you can sign up for a free account and be a beta
tester,
too, at
Alice.com
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