Internet Food Delivery: Why It’s Not for Me

Another internet food delivery service shut down last week. I’m not surprised. These services seem to be shuttering at a rapid rate. Still, new schemes for online food delivery keep cropping up.

Personally? I don't use these services. And I have yet to run across many people who  ?? love ??  their service with a capital L.

I suspect internet food delivery services target a certain kind of person. The target market? People who a) have limited access to food and/or b) lack a deep understanding, appreciation, or experience with food, cooking, and recipes.

College students without access to transportation? ? 

People who live in remote locations? ? 

Those who are time-strapped or obsessed with convenience? ??

Shut-ins? Agoraphobics? The anti-social? ???

People like me? I don’t check any of those boxes. I’m a big zero. ?

I like interacting with food and people. My love of food preparation runs deep. For me, food is social. It’s personal. 

And my nearest grocery store is a walk through the park. Literally. 

Caption: a pleasant Saturday morning, enjoying a walk to the grocery store.

I take a sixteen-minute stroll through Old Farm Park - a public disc golf course - and I find myself at Horrocks Market. Horrocks is an independent grocery store. It features a greenhouse with plants up front and a grocery in back. You’ll find a deli, free coffee, a seating area — plus a bar that serves wine and beer. 

Horrocks is a destination market. People will come from hundreds of miles to enjoy the experience. I go to Horrocks often, to pick through piles of fresh fruit and veg. And to chat with strangers and friends.

I’m part of the local color at Horrocks. I get a kick out of the tourists. They’re easy to spot, as they stumble tipsily past a display of beach apparel. They might say things like, “Ooh. Look, honey. Apples! Let’s take a picture!”

Caption: They're apples. Calm down.

Next to Horrocks is another local favorite: Asian Delight Market. If I cross the street, I’ll find a regional grocery store. If I go another half mile, I’ll shop at another locally owned store, Mediterranean Island International Foods. I'll go there for fresh goat, lamb, chicken, spices, and baked goods.

If I go 2 or 3 miles in any direction, I’ll come across many regional and national chains. I don’t shop our regional chains, though. Our local and nationals beat them on every level: price, convenience, personality, quality - you name it.

But I’m lucky. I live close to a plethora of options for finding food. I seldom drive past a store on my way to work: I’ll save on gas and time when I stop for items along the way.

My partner Greg stops at Grand Butchers for beef and pork on his way home from work. He also likes talking with Margie and the other butchers. On weekends, Greg stops by Russo's -- yet another nearby local market -- for wine tasting & chit-chat.

Caption: Greg and I keep running collaborative grocery lists in Google Keep, to stay on track. Over time — and with experience — you discover who has the best deals on what. 

But other people are not so lucky when it comes to finding fresh groceries. They live in the country, or in remote areas where shopping is far from a walk in the park or an easy, on-the-way, in-and-out stop. 

I lived in the country for a time. We would scour the papers, find sales, and plan weekend shopping trips. 

Now that I live near a city, it’s easy for me to spot out-of-towners. They make a day of shopping, usually Saturday. Shopping serves as a one day outing: a big city adventure. 

For many, grocery shopping is entertainment. It’s social. It's tactile. It's interactive. It’s an experience. 

I’ll often discuss weather with out-of-towners. We did not have a hard winter, so many were happy they could get to the city on the weekends to shop. During a hard winter, some said they had to rely on one of ‘those internet food delivery services.’

Now, try to imagine the tone of a lightly buzzed, porter-sipping shopper saying ‘one of those food delivery services.’ Is the tone bright and chipper? 

“One of those food delivery services!” ??

Or is the tone dour?

“One of those food delivery services.” ??

I’ll leave it to your imagination. Midwesterners express their feelings about food delivery services in tone of voice. 

“Eh.” (Shrugs.) ??

Exceptions: Schwan's ice cream usually gets rave reviews. But Schwan's is anything but new to food delivery...they've been doing it since 1952. And I meet seniors who say they love  ??  their meals-on-wheels programs.

Contrast these out-of-town strangers with four friends of mine. One tried a new online food delivery scheme. This service hyped delivery of fresh, organic produce. My city friend lives in her country home in the summer. She thought online food delivery would save her the hassle of a drive. She signed up.

After the first delivery, she canceled. I don’t remember the cost of her first delivery, but it was outrageous.

And her food? Pathetic. For the obscene price she payed for her paltry produce, she could have walked to a farm stand and bought ten times as much, for ten times the quality. 

Three other friends who use ‘one of those online services’ are scattered throughout the country. They live in remote areas. They know they are paying a premium for delivery. However, they appreciate they don’t have to drive into town for fresh food every weekend. 

Only one friend raves about his service. He says he is learning to cook from the recipes he gets with his delivered food. He doesn’t have much of a feel for food or ingredients. Food prep is all new to him. He’s learning. He’s excited. He used the L word: love.

“Our customers do not have deep understanding or experience with food.” Check. 

Two other remote-location friends possess deep knowledge of food and cooking. They seem resigned to their grocery delivery scheme.

“At least I have an option. It’s better than starving.”

Not exactly a rave review. And not a great brand promise. 

These friends regard their internet food-delivery schemes as ‘sorta-OK back-up food. You know, in case I can’t get to town.'

My exposure to internet food delivery services makes me wonder. Why does a service like Schwan's thrive for over 50 years -- while new food delivery startups flounder?

And what happens when a fledgling cook gains experience and feels the need to branch out? What happens when the college student graduates moves to a location where grocery stores are abundant and (gasp) fun? How do new services retain customers?

What happens when food delivery clients get hip to the hype?

Food is a social experience. It's how I show I care. It’s not all about convenience. It’s not even all about nutrition. 

Food is who you are as a person.

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Laura Bergells plans to make onion rosemary back ribs for dinner tonight. As a writer and speaker, I’m booked for the summer — but I still gotta eat every day. Take my classes online at #LinkedInLearning. I teach Public Speaking and Crisis Communication. I'm also on Twitter and YouTube.