Monday, January 26, 2015

It's true - drive-through grocery shopping is coming!


Could the concept of a drive-through grocery store actually be realized? Is it a crazy idea or something that could really happen? Well, the answers to all those questions is yes, it is crazy and it is really happening thanks to Canadian grocery giant Loblaws. Read it here.

Now that I'm aware this is no longer a figment of someones imagination, but actually becoming a real thing, I'm very curious to see how this will work out. I can definitely understand if my fellow Canadians, not to mention investors and other grocery chains are watching with very keen interest to see what happens.

I would not be shocked if we also see commentaries ranging from "Wow, what a great idea", to "Good God, what is happening to our society? We can't even get out of the car to do a simple walk-around a grocery store?" A polarizing issue no doubt.

Environmentalists, health specialists and others who watch the growth and girth of our society are no doubt having a case of the vapours as I write this post in reaction to a drive-through grocery. Their reactions may even look something like this:



image courtesy of www.broadsheet.ie

Usually I'd be inclined to agree with m'lady's response in the image above to yet another innovation designed to make us do less, until today happened. Today is not a good day weather-wise. It is absolutely frigid outside in Toronto, and I know a huge snowstorm is about to hit the fan out on the East coast. But, in the city, right now it is disgustingly cold.

I can imagine people silently or loudly cursing and asking themselves, nee begging, why they're outside in the first place. And the answer eventually comes. You need food to live. In order to afford food, you have to work to pay it. To get paid requires you to go to work. Hence, the reason you're outside battling snow, sleet, hail, frigid winds or whatever the weather Gods decide to throw at you.

Suddenly, when you're caught in this type of weather, a drive-through grocery store doesn't sound so scary.

For those times when you're seriously rushed off your feet. Work has held you back, you know you have some items that are in serious need of replenishing at home. The thought of walking across that frigid, wind swept parking lot, bundled up tightly so you can't even see through the slits of your toque and scarf is repellent, even though you need to eat.

Then you realize you can go online, order your things and pick it up after work. All of a sudden, the idea of just pulling up and out is very exciting. Yes, I know - phrasing.

So I say good luck Loblaws, with your continued efforts to make the consumer so much lazier than we already are. Grab that extra income if you can, because I know profit margins for grocery stores are so razor-thin right now.

Admittedly, the logistics of this would be fascinating to watch. Would it be designed like a McDonalds drive-through? Would the customer have a chance to check the bags to make sure everything ordered is there without creating a back up of cars? Will the drive-through be prepared when the weather is like today, making people cold, hungry and crazy and the result is a huge backlog of orders?

I'll be watching. In the meantime, I'm hoping for that next consumer time-saving invention that allows you to just think of what you need and boom, there it is. Could you imagine the possibilities with something like that?

4 comments:

  1. I can definitely understand if my fellow Canadians, not to mention investors and other grocery chains are watching with very keen interest to see what happens. wholesale bags

    ReplyDelete
  2. Exactly - it's definitely an experiment that will change the way most Canadians shop for food in the future - interesting times indeed!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Most of us shop for groceries at least once a week. For some, it's an enjoyable experience. For others, it's an unpleasant task they would rather skip.
    But if you enjoy grocery shopping, wouldn't it be great if you could get paid to walk down those aisles? You make find it hard to believe, but it is possible to get paid well to do grocery shopping for others.Order for grocery delivery we ready to reach your orders.
    Dallas tx grocery delivery

    ReplyDelete
  4. Grocery delivery service is a very new concept that has been introduced recently and aims at helping out those who are working and cannot spend their free time
    shopping for groceries.

    Dallas tx grocery delivery

    ReplyDelete