Google will soon be delivering fresh food in two US cities

[dkpope]

If you’re looking for another excuse to not leave the house today, Google’s got you covered. Or they will soon because Google will begin delivering fresh food and groceries in two U.S. cities later this year, Bloomberg reports. Google Express, which has been delivering merchandise such as dry foods for a while, will partner with Whole Foods Market and Costco to add fruit and vegetables, and more, to their delivery selection. The trial begins in San Francisco and another city that wasn’t named in the interview.

With this move, Google Express steps into direct competition with other online food deliverers such as Amazon Fresh and Instacart. And, looking at the numbers in the Bloomberg report, it makes sense that they’re doing this. Online groceries have become a $10.9 billion industry in the U.S., and it’s expected to grow 9.6 percent each year through 2019.

Brian Elliott, general manager of Google Express, told Bloomberg that it’s in Google’s interest to be able to deliver the “whole store” to customers.

Google has offered next-day deliveries on non-fresh items to a few cities for a while, but they will be expanding that to include Midwestern cities such as Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio.

Delivering fresh foods makes sense for Google because it avoids costly warehouses and gives customers more options, which might induce people to place larger orders. On the consumer side, the grocery market getting more competitive hopefully signals that it will become more affordable. So that someday soon, instead of dragging ourselves to the grocery store, we can just order our groceries online without exorbitant fees.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/62036-google-soon-delivering-fresh-food-two-us-cities.html

 

[misor]

I initially thought google has invented (food) replicators as used in the star trek tv/movie shows.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

It's a good way of capitalizing on peoples inherent laziness.

 

[Khanonate]

I initially thought google has invented (food) replicators as used in the star trek tv/movie shows.

That would take another 1,000 years but by then, we have more pressing problem with the "Borg".

 

[seefizzle]

It's a good way of capitalizing on peoples inherent laziness.

Is laziness the only reason why someone would do their grocery shopping online? I reckon that I myself am the target market for services like this. It has nothing to do with me being lazy at all. In a lot of aspects ordering online is a lot better experience. I don't like grocery shopping. Not only might it be a better experience for me as a shopper but in a lot of ways it could be better for the store as well. Less people in line, less cashiers working, etc.

Assuming that anyone who uses a grocery delivery service is lazy misses the point.

Maybe one day your fridge will be outfitted with cameras, or a barcode scanner or something and any time you get low on a particular food it will build a shopping list for you, order it, and have it delivered without having to do much. There's a lot of neat things that become possible when you integrate online ordering for groceries.

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

It's a good way of capitalizing on peoples inherent laziness.

Or not having much time but plenty of money, which is probably what plenty of people in SF have.

I wonder what it must be like to live in SF. Literally EVERY story about something new starts in SF ( I get it... Google is IN SF, so it makes sense). It must be terribly expensive to use all these services.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Is laziness the only reason why someone would do their grocery shopping online? I reckon that I myself am the target market for services like this. It has nothing to do with me being lazy at all. In a lot of aspects ordering online is a lot better experience. I don't like grocery shopping. Not only might it be a better experience for me as a shopper but in a lot of ways it could be better for the store as well. Less people in line, less cashiers working, etc.

Assuming that anyone who uses a grocery delivery service is lazy misses the point.

Maybe one day your fridge will be outfitted with cameras, or a barcode scanner or something and any time you get low on a particular food it will build a shopping list for you, order it, and have it delivered without having to do much. There's a lot of neat things that become possible when you integrate online ordering for groceries.

I like grocery shopping. My wife likes it as well and we still do it together even though she is disabled these days, it gives us some time to sit down, have some tea & cake and shoot the breeze with some of the other old geezers.
Life may be speeding up but for us it is slowing down and I like it.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Or not having much time but plenty of money, which is probably what plenty of people in SF have.

I wonder what it must be like to live in SF. Literally EVERY story about something new starts in SF ( I get it... Google is IN SF, so it makes sense). It must be terribly expensive to use all these services.

You know Mike, I can see why people use services like this and most will tell you it's the convenience, which it is. I don't know much about SF, San Fransicans or their culture, I've never been there, all I know is what I've seen in the movies and on TV.
I don't live in an overpopulated, rat race of a city, I live where things are a lot quieter so for my wife and I to go out and do grocery shopping is easy, and it's time out of the house (we're both retired now).
I suppose your lifestyle and location determines whether you use these types of services but there's definitely a need for them.

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

You know Mike, I can see why people use services like this and most will tell you it's the convenience, which it is. I don't know much about SF, San Fransicans or their culture, I've never been there, all I know is what I've seen in the movies and on TV.
I don't live in an overpopulated, rat race of a city, I live where things are a lot quieter so for my wife and I to go out and do grocery shopping is easy, and it's time out of the house (we're both retired now).
I suppose your lifestyle and location determines whether you use these types of services but there's definitely a need for them.

My SF knowledge is limited too, but I do know it's a peninsula, so there's very limited space. I can imagine that means there are few grocery stores that charge way too much, and parking is horrible. Also, living in a crowded downtown area means you may not have a car, and groceries on a bike is difficult.

I think it's also easy to start a service in SF because it's so small. You only need to go a few miles to get to San Mateo (I'm using a map, not my head for this) and the other side of the bridge is oakland. So SF is a highly populated and small area. perfect for a delivery start up.

Oh, and everyone's rich. Or at least they were, before they starting paying to live there.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

My SF knowledge is limited too, but I do know it's a peninsula, so there's very limited space. I can imagine that means there are few grocery stores that charge way too much, and parking is horrible. Also, living in a crowded downtown area means you may not have a car, and groceries on a bike is difficult.

I think it's also easy to start a service in SF because it's so small. You only need to go a few miles to get to San Mateo (I'm using a map, not my head for this) and the other side of the bridge is oakland. So SF is a highly populated and small area. perfect for a delivery start up.

Oh, and everyone's rich. Or at least they were, before they starting paying to live there.

What I do know about SF is that Alcatraz is across the bay and up until '63 nobody wanted to live there and I don't know why. As far as I know it was full board and lodging for a good, lengthy time and all with the compliments of the government. What happened?

 

[captaincranky]

That would take another 1,000 years but by then, we have more pressing problem with the "Borg".

Google will handle the Borg for us too when they get here!

Although, being taken over by the Borg would be the worst possible outcome for streaming services. Once one Borg signs signs up, the rest of them hear it for free. Hmm....., I hadn't thought about it much until now, but it's like the whole race has a built in bit torrent client....

 

[dkpope]

I wonder what it must be like to live in SF. Literally EVERY story about something new starts in SF ( I get it... Google is IN SF, so it makes sense). It must be terribly expensive to use all these services.

If I lived in SF I'd have NO discipline. I'd try everything. Yay for living in a small/rural town....?

 

[JamesandBennie]

I go online shopping frequently, and go to the mall now and then. Grocery is right near my house. I like all the new ways and old ways of shopping. They have been making my life so much easier.