When I think of Amazon, I think of books and Kindles. I think of bookstores, or what used to be bookstores before Amazon Kindle got so big. I think of reading books on my Kindle at airports and other places. How did groceries get in the midst?
Well, Amazon is going in the online grocery business. It’s been years in the making. It’s called Amazon Fresh. Since the late 2000s, in Seattle, they’ve been delivering eggs, fruit and meat products. Within the next week, Amazon Fresh plans to expend to San Francisco and LA and if they’re successful there, Amazon Fresh will move to 20 other major cities in 2014. But while the online grocery business has skyrocketed lately, competition is fierce. They have Kroger, Wal-Mart and Safeway, just to name a few. To tell you the truth, we don’t even know if the Seattle venture was that successful. Amazon Fresh is keeping a tight lid on the results.
I’m pretty pessimistic about this one. First off, the competition is just too steep. Personally, I would like to see someone knock Wal-Mart off, and if Amazon Fresh can do it, more power to them. But I don’t see that happening. It’s hard to even make a profit in the grocery business, much less the online grocery business. I know the online grocery business will cater to some demographics. But some of us actually like to go in the store, get the products with our own hands and get out. From the lines I see at the check out counter, I’m not the only one. Will you be logging on to Amazon Fresh when it comes to a city near you?