Wal-Mart Plans to Test Grocery Delivery Through Uber, Lyft

Post by rsheridan6 » Fri, Jun 03, 2016, 2:04 PM UTC

tshtf wrote: post #52

brudgers wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I was caught up in the anti-Walmart meme [and I'm using "meme" dismissively] for many years, today Walmart provides jobs in my community and those jobs appear to be stable with regular shifts because I often see the same cashiers at the same times one year to the next. I'll add that Walmart also generates local sales and income tax revenue [and sometimes property tax] that helps make schools and roads and fire…

Sure, Walmart provides jobs in your community... But they cost state and federal taxpayers in a significant way. Walmart's business model depends on state and federal government assistance to their low-paid workers: http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/the-high-public-cost-of-low-... It is true that Walmart brings in local revenues through sales and property taxes, however this is more than offset by the assistance state…

Post by colmvp » Fri, Jun 03, 2016, 2:09 PM UTC

goatforce5 wrote: post #45

pm215 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

UK experience suggests there's a decent market for delivered groceries: these stats ( http://www.igd.com/Research/Shopper-Insight/Pushing-online-s... ) from 2015 say that 11% of shoppers used online-shopping-with-delivery for their main shop, and 26% had used it at least once in the past month. So there is a decent demand there willing to pay delivery charges that can sustain a with-human-driver style delivery servic…

I worked with a guy who used to work at the head office of a Canadian grocery chain. Apparently the grocery shopping habits of UK/European consumers is considerably different than North Americans and so something that works in one market doesn't necessarily translate across the Atlantic. In the UK, my old supermarket had a couple of aisles of prepared chilled meals. Lots of variety, and a lot of it was pretty good qu…

Post by ams6110 » Fri, Jun 03, 2016, 2:11 PM UTC

k-mcgrady wrote: post #27

I'm always surprised grocery delivery is still a big deal in the US. All the major supermarkets in the UK do home delivery, next day, for a £3-5 delivery fee. You can go the site, fill your basket, and checkout. You also get a 1-2 hour delivery slot so you don't have to wait at home all day. We also have Amazon Prime Now doing grocery delivery within 1 hour in some cities. I can see how it would be a problem in some…

Post by tshtf » Fri, Jun 03, 2016, 2:12 PM UTC

brudgers wrote: post #71

tshtf wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, Walmart provides jobs in your community... But they cost state and federal taxpayers in a significant way. Walmart's business model depends on state and federal government assistance to their low-paid workers: http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/the-high-public-cost-of-low-... It is true that Walmart brings in local revenues through sales and property taxes, however this is more than offset by the assistance state…

I don't disagree. I think Walmart expresses the structure of health care access in the United States. I don't think the contractor model as implemented in the consumer facing gig economy or more traditionally in Amazon's warehouses has noticeably better economic outcomes for workers. My impression is that when journalists muckrake contract labor, healthcare access gets lumped in with employment instability and attemp…

Post by ams6110 » Fri, Jun 03, 2016, 2:15 PM UTC

lujim wrote: post #9

This is going to take a bit of magic to pull off. Groceries are very low margin items and people just opt for pre-made restaurant food when we are feeling lazy. When I'm motivated enough to prepare my own food I'm motivated enough to go to the grocery store. This is the domain of driver-less delivery vehicles of whatever kind.