By George Anderson
The prices are good. The selection is fairly broad. Delivery times will not be for the time pressed.
Those are the basic pros and cons of Amazon.com's expanded Gourmet (or not) Food section on its web site.
According to an ABC News report, the Amazon site has 84 pages of food (roughly 2,000 packaged food products) with everything from everyday fare to the exotic.
According to another report, this one from the Financial Times, Amazon shoppers can buy Campbell's Beef and Rice Chunky soup for $1.57 a can. The same item sold through Peapod costs $2.69. Of course, Peapod customers can get the product within a day of ordering while Amazon shoppers may have to wait five weeks.
While Amazon is not looking to compete with other online food sellers in terms of delivery time, it does seem focused on using price as a vehicle to entice consumers that the wait is worth it. In addition to low product pricing, the online giant is offering free delivery on most grocery orders over $25.
Moderator's Comment: What roles do price, selection and delivery time play in online grocery product purchasing? Which factor is most important to consumers who buy food online? Which factor most discourages those who do not shop for food online from doing so? - George Anderson - Moderator