> Having said that, I do now wonder if you could make the model work by offering very cheap, or even free, delivery on the condition that you place the order a few hours in advance for a pre-selected delivery time.
While a nifty idea, I don't think it really works. I see two major obstacles:
Food ordering is instant (or almost instant) gratification. You want your food and you want it now. Or if not now then in 30 minutes, max. You may have the odd outlier, who plans accordingly and orders dinner at noon.
The other problem would be the customers at the end of the delivery route. While that doesn't matter much for groceries that sauce on the former tasty duck à l'orange may be mighty congealed and rather unappetizing once it arrives as one of the last deliveries of a route.
I just don't think that there's enough of a market for pre planned food deliveries and quality assurance would be impossible.
While a nifty idea, I don't think it really works. I see two major obstacles:
Food ordering is instant (or almost instant) gratification. You want your food and you want it now. Or if not now then in 30 minutes, max. You may have the odd outlier, who plans accordingly and orders dinner at noon.
The other problem would be the customers at the end of the delivery route. While that doesn't matter much for groceries that sauce on the former tasty duck à l'orange may be mighty congealed and rather unappetizing once it arrives as one of the last deliveries of a route.
I just don't think that there's enough of a market for pre planned food deliveries and quality assurance would be impossible.