A few weeks ago we mentioned Amazon's foray into grocery delivery. Although we had glanced at the website and tossed a few things idly into our shopping cart, we had yet to experience AmazonFresh's delivery system firsthand. Until now.
Yesterday afternoon, with the pantry bare and the hike to the grocery store unbearable, we found ourselves ordering an assortment of food from Seattle's latest online grocer. Having been underwhelmed by other grocery delivery services in the past, we expected to encounter poor product images, odd delivery hours and extra fees. We were pleasantly surprised. In fact, AmazonFresh is pretty darn accessible and convenient from start to finish with prices that undercut many popular grocers in the area.
With products ranging in quality from your average grocery fare to local artisanal brands, AmazonFresh provides gorgeous product shots and allows customers to search for items according to their dietary restrictions. While some areas of the store, like deli, seem a little bare, keep in mind that AmazonFresh is still in its testing phase. When placing our order, we tried to choose a diverse range of items without venturing into areas we are less comfortable with. No matter how beautiful the photograph, it's difficult to relax into purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables from a retailer known for their books and DVDs.
Stomachs growling, we reviewed our order and hoped for the best. Our delivery was scheduled to arrive before dawn, gently left on our stoop while we worked on our beauty sleep.
This morning, slipper-footed and in desperate need of caffeine, we opened the front door to four large plastic crates of various colors, each branded with a large lowercase "a." Like the milkman of yore, Amazon had visited in the wee hours of the morning. After dragging the crates inside, we surveyed the packing list and began sorting through our purchases, all present and accounted for. While the packaging may seem a bit excessive, each crate is fully reusable and ready for pick up by Amazon upon reorder. Our groceries were treated with care, not a single egg broken or box punctured. Also, each crate was sealed with a removable plastic zipper to ensure that no nosy neighbors had messed with our grub.
The verdict? We'll be ordering staples from AmazonFresh in the future and look forward to them expanding their service areas. Now if only they would stock wine...
