During the first dot-com boom of the late nineties, online grocery shopping was supposed to be the next big thing. Indeed, one could have made a fortune in this business, but only if you were able to short sell one of the many companies that went public and subsequently failed.
TUTORIAL:
Years later, there was a resurgence of interest in this service, but history repeated itself. Although some companies still continue to develop offerings, observers ponder the question: Why does online grocery shopping continue to fail? Here are 10 reasons why.
1. Grocery Shopping Is a Social Experience
Families go to the grocery store together to browse the aisles and plan their next week's meals. Single people even visit specific stores in order to attract potential dates. None of these activities are feasible with the online shopping experience. (For related reading, see Tips For Keeping Your Financial Data Safe Online.)
2. Purchasing Produce Is a Tactile Process
Shopping for fruits and vegetables online would be as useful as picking out paint colors over the phone. Internet grocers couldn't possibly spend the time and money necessary to take a picture of each actual piece of fruit, but even if they did, you couldn't hold it, shake it or tap it to determine its quality.
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