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General discussion

Poll: Would you use AmazonFresh if it were available to you?

Dec 17, 2013 8:57AM PST

To give you some perspective to this poll, read this CNET article: AmazonFresh vs. supermarket: A hands-on shopping test

Would you use AmazonFresh if it were available to you?

-- Yes, I dread going to the supermarket.
-- Yes, but not at the $300 dollar membership fee.
-- Yes, I don't have time to go grocery shopping.
-- No, because I don't think I will get my money's worth.
-- No, I like to go to the supermarket and touch the items before I buy them.
-- No, I do not see any benefits to the service.
-- No, because I love going to the supermarket, it's fun!
-- Maybe, I'd have to try it before buying into it.
-- Other.

Vote here: http://forums.cnet.com/2706-21566_102-2360.html

Discussion is locked

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Maybe, I'd have to try it before buying into it.
Dec 17, 2013 9:18AM PST

There've been a number of such services to come and go over the last 3 decades in my area, but none of them ever lasted very long. When/if this service comes to my area, I'll try it out if I don't have to pay a fee to try it. I remember when it was available here, my wife said she wouldn't use it because she wants to squeeze the fruits & veggies before buying. I would use it for non-perishables if it was cheaper, but only if it was cheaper.

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$300. Fee
Dec 17, 2013 9:51AM PST

I would save that fee in no time by not having impulse purchases the cost of running to the grocery store, etc.!

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Food delivered, cheap!
Dec 17, 2013 10:10AM PST

I had WebVan here in suburban Atlanta, when they rolled out. I had two small children and lived in a remote 'burb and had to drive 10+ minutes to the store on a good day. After they redid their software to schedule a delivery before you placed your order, they had a WINNER!!!! Their produce was PRISTINE. They had everything I ever wanted, including my printer's ink cartridge at a decent price, and Emeril's BAM Essence!!! What was not to like? The prices were competitive with Kroger and they brought it into my kitchen Happy

No one had sneezed on the produce, no one had dropped it on the floor, and it was beauteous. I would gladly shop with a company that provided this level of customer service and attention to detail, in a heartbeat!!! If Amazon thinks they can replicate the glorious experience that WebVan delivered, then BRING IT ON!!!

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AmFresh pretty much same as grocerygateway in Toronto, Ont.
Dec 17, 2013 10:42AM PST

I used grocerygateway.com starting back in 1999 when I was rentingin Toronto, Ont. for a few years without a vehicle and loved it! Wireless debit at the door, guaranteed fresh produce and if an item was out of stock you'd get an equal or bigger size for free. Also you could pick time slots and plan your delivery. I just checked now and they're still kickin' around, that says a lot about this great service! Amazonfresh should drop the membership/ prime fee for sure if they want this to catch on.

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Free Commercial
Dec 17, 2013 11:00AM PST

This topic must have been paid for by Amazon, and I wish CNET would not do that. As a source of advice, I would like to be able to trust its neutrality.

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re: NYC
Dec 17, 2013 10:35AM PST

Here in NYC we have Fresh Direct.,been ordering from them since they started..but Jeff Besos will make this work /then I may change over

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Fresh Direct
Dec 22, 2013 3:26PM PST

Hello Friends!
I want to share my great experience with all of you. Fresh Direct is very nice site for Food shopping. Its my first online shopping from Fresh Direct and i got free delivery on my first order. My Friends also used the coupons of this site through http://www.delightcoupons.com/us/health-food/freshdirect and they get latest deals always.

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$300 is a bit steep when there are other options.
Dec 17, 2013 10:39AM PST

We're in Southern California and when we are pressed for time or if our family gets a cold bug, we use Vons.com. No membership fee and you can pick delivery times with as little as a two hour window, usually the day after you order. Delivery charges are nominal and discounted or free delivery is available on orders over $150 and with the special delivery coupons they send you by email. The drivers are not allowed to accept tips and they are always on time. I don't use this service all the time, but when we do, it's stellar! You can get advertised store specials and use your loyalty card from the store. The selection is wonderful. The meat and produce selection is great and we've never received any unacceptable items. With these things in mind, a $300 membership service wouldn't make sense.

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The admission fee is a downer and hand binder
Dec 17, 2013 5:25PM PST

I fully agree with Lee, the admission fee is a downer and customer binder. No supplier is going to commit me to his supplies if not by quality and price. I live in the Netherlands with perfect logistics and availability of products and competition. This kind of service wouldn't work here, for sure!
The admission fee is something that comes straight from the Internet and will not be accepted in the real world.

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time waiting for delivery
Dec 17, 2013 11:04AM PST

The article Sharon wrote did not factor in the time you spend waiting for the delivery. She counted the time it took to place the order but not the forty minutes waiting for the order to show up. there was also the factor of the tip.

Something else to consider is that there are several grocery chains that allow you to order online and have the groceries delivered, here in Massachusetts peapod by Stop and Shop seems to be the most prevalent.

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Would I use Amazon Fresh ...Poll discussion
Dec 17, 2013 11:45AM PST

I am currently highly satisfied with grocery shopping at our local ALDI store.
It is unlike what most people experience in the typical American "super market".
No coupons, no displays cluttering up the aisles.
No compulsive products at the aisle ends.
Dairy products at the FRONT of the store.
Almost all prices way lower than the average supermarket, even with coupons.
Nice clean, modern designs with all products within reach.
NO LOUD STUPID BACKGROUND MUSIC or desperate PA announcements.
We are able to buy 95% of what we need.
Average checkout takes about 2 minutes so lines move quickly.
It all makes sense when you find that ALDI is owned by a German corporation as is Trader Joe's.
If the situation were different I MIGHT consider Amazon Fresh.

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Three no's and no yes's
Dec 17, 2013 12:26PM PST

There are four no and the first three fit my attitude.
1. Way too expensive. I pay $55 a year for Costco and think I save $100, so am plus the cost.
2. Freshness counts with groceries, especially produce.
3. The only benefit would be cost and time. two mile round trip to the market @ 25MPG. HMmmm? Not much cost there.

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Technology doesn't impress everyone
Dec 17, 2013 12:56PM PST

I'll start using Amazon Fresh right after I start buying my clothes online or mail order. Don't hold your breath! austexjam

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Amaxon, a company with no apparent ethics or morals
Dec 17, 2013 1:57PM PST

Amazon's obsession with expansion, domination and destruction of communities through corporate irresponsibility is already turning people away from them.

As someone who cares how staff are treated and the ethics of the supply chain, I have stopped using them and see no reason to move back. They are driven solely by profit, avoid tax, lobby (a political term for bribe) politicians to support their expansion, pay the minimum wage, regardless of how much profit they make for the senior management, who are only interested in hoarding cash way past the point that it is of any use to them.

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Would you use AmazonFresh if it were available to you?
Dec 17, 2013 2:07PM PST

I don't see the purpose of it I have two local stores that have an order on-line and deliver to your house service. So why would I want to use a service that I won't know where my stuff is coming from?

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I Need Delivery
Dec 17, 2013 4:12PM PST

As a handicapped person, I would love the service, which is unavailable in Orlando. But I wouldn't pay $300/yr for it. Maybe $100 over Amazon Prime.

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Think hard about Amazon
Dec 17, 2013 4:47PM PST

I am shocked, but not surprised at your innocence. Any organisation going for domination must use questionable methods. In the UK, their treatment of employees has been exposed in the media, and they do not appear, like many other big businesses, to pay their proper share of UK taxes. This, despite their success depends on a society, which costs money to maintain, in education, health, infrastructure. This looks like large-scale theft to me. I refuse to use Amazon, unless I find that they've already crushed the competition in an area where I need to buy.
I don't have the skills, but I would welcome the setting-up of a website that listed suppliers who treat employees well, pay a proper share of support for the society they exploit, and recognise their wider responsibilities generally.
Tony Rick
Ironbridge, UK

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Amazonfresh/grocery delivery.
Dec 17, 2013 4:55PM PST

We have been doing this for years in the UK.

Several of the big supermarkets, Tesco, Sainsburys, Waitrose and Asda (Wall Mart) have an online ordering system. You can even save your original shopping list so you only have to amend.

There is no membership fee. If you order over say £100 ($155), then delivery is free. Normally about £6.
You can buy say 20 deliveries in advance at a reduced rate. It is also possible to order dry goods.

Many people in UK do all their Christmas gift shopping online , only going out to the shops a few times, So avoiding the crush!
I find this is very useful for elderly or infirm people who cannot get out that much and where the crowds and transport would be difficult. Also ideal for a busy mum, with or without children. Of course we should always try and support our small local shops for small shopping trips!

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No way
Dec 17, 2013 4:58PM PST

I don't know what it is but it sounds ridiculously expensive. I am boycotting Amazon until they pay their taxes.

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Eh
Dec 17, 2013 5:52PM PST

We have something LIKE this where I live in Wexford PA. Its at the Giant Eagle across from us. Obviously I would not need to use it, like, ever lol since they are so close. But, the deal is, you pay a fee and then you give them a list over the phone of what you need, they find it in the store for you, bag it up and then you come to the curb and get the bags. Sort of like curb side at a restaurant. The thing is A) I like to touch and see the stuff I buy before buying it and B) I am truly worried about cleanliness. Who is it that is getting my red peppers and tomato's? When is the last time they washed their hands? lol. Oh I also am curious about pound for pound. For example, if I say, I want 2 steaks. Are they going to get me the BIGGEST steaks they can find JUST to charge me more? Who knows. This is GE we are talking about here Happy

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Amazon services
Dec 17, 2013 6:20PM PST

All of the Amazon services come at a price to someone. Where, I wonder, do these fresh products come from. Amazon do not grow them, so one has to assume that they have made some deal with the growers, and in doing so have cut the growers profits to a minimum, as they have done with other manufacturers. Beware of companies that want to take over the world! Remember also that Amazon has a bad reputation for the way in which it treats its workforce. Nothing is free in commerce, and if you are getting a good deal you can be pretty sure that someone else is getting a bed one.

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Coupons? Generic products?
Dec 17, 2013 8:09PM PST

I use coupons whenever I can. I always buying the store brand, or generic equivalent, for most products that I purchase. I don't see this as a real value.

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Resolve Amazon Tax Avoidance, even more important
Dec 17, 2013 8:44PM PST

As a use of Amazon, I had no idea until recently that the company was engaging in such spirited Tax Avoidance schemes, see http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/jul/19/oecd-tax-reform-proposals-amazon

Despite offering an excellent service which I have used a lot, this gives the company a very unfair advantage over other companies. It's also killing off all manner of jobs and the fragile economies and communities in which they exist. This isn't a good thing, is it ?

So whilst I like the idea of delivery of yet more goods to our doors, just like the good ol' butcher's boy on his bike in times gone by, the company must start to act more responsibility and keep sustainability of high value things in mind first, and not as an begrudging last.

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Shop Local!
Dec 17, 2013 9:42PM PST

Stop sending your money out of town. Keep your neighborhood alive.

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buying vegetables sight unseen
Dec 18, 2013 12:00AM PST

The idea of ordering fresh food online is appealing, but I can't imagine it working very well. First of all, wouldn't like anyone else choosing my groceries, or getting them to me in time. Will they leave at the front door if I'm not home?
Actually, I'm retired, grow a few vegetables just a few steps from my back door, and in this medium town, ALL my services are within a fifteen minute drive.
If I were rich and too busy to buy groceries, I might try it out, but I'd have to test the waters first.

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I'm an attentive shopper
Dec 18, 2013 1:35AM PST

the problem I have with any internet selections of food with an expiration date or produce items is I don't trust the selector to get me the best/freshest selection...if they are picking between milk that has a 12/20 expiration or milk that has a 12/21 expiration, they have an incentive to get rid of the oldest item they have in inventory, which is not the one I (or anyone else) would select for myself

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AmazonFresh for $300?
Dec 18, 2013 2:11AM PST

Nope. My local ShopRite in New Jersey is perfect for deliveries when I am not able to get out. I choose what I want on their website, pick the date and time for delivery. When they deliver, they bring it up to the second floor for me. The small fee makes it worthwhile and I have never been disappointed in their produce or any other items. With a pay-as-you-go program, I won't be looking back at the end of the year wondering if it was worth it.
On another note, they help us with discounts for charities and allow volunteers to solicit for assistance for the disadvantaged; they are an integral part of our "community."
I am an Amazon shopper,, but I will keep doing business with my local supermarket.

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Would you use AmazonFresh if it were available to you? no
Dec 18, 2013 2:14AM PST

Titus 1:love of money is the root of all evil. Such should be resisted

on occasion maybe but regularly?
IF YOU ARE SO busy as to regularly rely on mail order food when selection is possible, you deserve the consequences of your actions / inaction.
sorry no sympathy here.
you put work, play, selfish acts above taking charge in your life fine. don't go suing when something doesn't work out, you get sick, the delivery was wrapped in peanuts and you die from your allergy. tough, you who are too lazy or put greed above your trip to the store. climb in your electronic bubble so once again you can avoid face to face contact with a store worker or cashier having a bad day working at minimum wage trying to pay for groceries. go ahead. be lazy eat what i may send you. who knows, you may receive a little extra n your pkg. everyone has to go sometime...
some have no concept of self reliance and will always expect others owe them. i suspect they are most likely to accept this as nornal. others may wish to use a service on rare occasions but a fee makes that unlikely.
"whence comes this splendid feast?" wordweb

Ill pick my own from a trsted source

Happy holydays All Yall 3Dpizzaprinters, I choose red baron n Dominos Wed night secial by phone order and Pickup on a drive by piece on earth
Merry Christmas.

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Amazon fresh
Dec 19, 2013 5:30AM PST

I'm in Phoenix AZ AND I'm DISABLED , can't WALK ..I NEED MY GROCERYS DELIVERED BUT LIVE ON SSI social security AND CAN'T AFORD $300 BUCKS.. I say come on down lets do it..

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Amazon Has An Over-inflated Opinion Of Itself
Dec 20, 2013 2:10AM PST

Jumping from a reasonable $2.99 to an inflated $3.99 postage for a single DVD...
Raising the price for free shipping from a $25. order to a $35. order (and considering the item price with free shipping is usually comparable to buying the item from another vendor and paying for shipping)...
And now $300. to join their stupid grocery club?
These idiots are cutting their own necks blinded by greed.