• In the UK, the Guardian reports that when Morrisons begins its grocery delivery service in early January, it will offer "a virtual butcher and a grading system for fresh food, (and) will allow shoppers to immediately hand back food they don't think is good enough."
According to the story, CEO Dalton Philips "is hoping an array of specialist services can draw in shoppers who will spend more online with Morrisons than they do with other grocers and keep them loyal. Those services include expert quality ratings on all produce, special packaging to prevent damage to fragile items such as bananas and the ability to return and receive money-off vouchers for fresh goods found not be up to standard on the doorstep. It will also offer steaks in a variety of thicknesses and bread and cakes baked fresh in Morrisons stores. The retailer is hoping these ideas will help it become profitable online, unlike other grocers, by boosting sales of fruit, vegetables, meat and fish – which make more money than general groceries."
• CNBC reports that Gap Inc. is offering a new service - customers can go online and reserve items, and then can go into a store, pay for them and pick them up within 24 hours.
After a test in 40 Gap and Banana Republic stores that began over the summer, the company is rolling out the program to the entire Banana Republic fleet of more than 400 stores, and almost a third of the nation's Gap stores.
One caveat - shoppers can't use the service on Thanksgiving or Black Friday, days on which management wants employees focused on shoppers who actually are in the store.
According to the story, CEO Dalton Philips "is hoping an array of specialist services can draw in shoppers who will spend more online with Morrisons than they do with other grocers and keep them loyal. Those services include expert quality ratings on all produce, special packaging to prevent damage to fragile items such as bananas and the ability to return and receive money-off vouchers for fresh goods found not be up to standard on the doorstep. It will also offer steaks in a variety of thicknesses and bread and cakes baked fresh in Morrisons stores. The retailer is hoping these ideas will help it become profitable online, unlike other grocers, by boosting sales of fruit, vegetables, meat and fish – which make more money than general groceries."
• CNBC reports that Gap Inc. is offering a new service - customers can go online and reserve items, and then can go into a store, pay for them and pick them up within 24 hours.
After a test in 40 Gap and Banana Republic stores that began over the summer, the company is rolling out the program to the entire Banana Republic fleet of more than 400 stores, and almost a third of the nation's Gap stores.
One caveat - shoppers can't use the service on Thanksgiving or Black Friday, days on which management wants employees focused on shoppers who actually are in the store.
- KC's View:
- Not sure why Gap isn't asking people to buy the product online and then just pick it up in-store, but there must be some logic in there somewhere.
