Cleveland.com published an article this morning profiling a new Cleveland-based company, Presto Fresh, which delivers groceries right to the doors of Cuyahoga County residents, 7 days a week.
The interworkings of Presto Fresh are fairly straightforward, the article states:
Customers browse among the 3,500 items on the www.prestofreshgrocery.com website (including about 300 organic items), and pay in advance online. Items are delivered within a day or two within a two-hour window between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m., seven days a week.
The minimum order is $50, not including a delivery charge that ranges from $7.95 to $9.95, depending on how much you buy, with extra discounts for people who are more flexible about their delivery times.
Grocery delivery is nothing new. Companies in other major cities, including Chicago, New York, and San Francisco, adopted the fad years ago (plenty of Ohio-based stores have some kind of Click & Go system, too). And many people love it, especially folks too busy to shop during the week or those who don’t have reliable access to transportation.
Then there are the skeptics, or people who find the online selection limited and prefer picking out their own fruits and veggies. (We imagine there have been an array of hilarious/awkward goof ups that have turned people off as well).
Despite having only been in business for a couple of weeks, the three employees at Presto Fresh seem optimistic about their company’s future and hope to develop a dedicated customer base who routinely uses their services.
What do you think, Cleveland? Is this a trend that will catch on in our city? It is something you have or would be willing to try?
This article appears in Jan 15-21, 2014.
For those who are caregivers in their homes, this service can be outstanding.
Just checked the site and in addition to paying a delivery fee, you also will be paying pretty substantial markups on the food too. Great if you NEED delivery but not realistic for the average person’s weekly shopping. ex.$1.69 for Chobani yogurt that is regularly 10 for $10 at the store.
I am not able to carry groceries from our garage to the house because of a back problem. My husband always carries them in. When he was sick last Spring I was in a pickle. If this happens again I will call Presto Fresh. I know one of the employees and can vouch for his integrity and I am sure good service.
I’m a former Clevelander and we have a similar service in the Washington, DC area called Peapod run by a large supermarket, Giant. Safeway has one as well. These delivery services are extremely popular here and for $7.95 per $100 order it’s well worth it. Produce selection is generally good and customer service is excellent. They bring the groceries into the kitchen for me. I had back surgery this past summer and this was a godsend! When my mother (who still lives in Cleveland) wasn’t able drive anymore, I couldn’t believe Cleveland didn’t have reasonably priced delivery service! One local chain wanted $30 to deliver $50 worth of groceries and they are located 2 miles from her! I will have to look into this for her!
I, like Lisa Bertman Hoffman, used PeaPod regularly when I lived in Washington, D.C. I am disabled/handicapped and have wished and hoped for a grocery delivery service here since my return to Cleveland (my hometown) in 2005. YES! My prayers have been answered! =;-) I no longer have to rely on others to take me for groceries, coordinate getting them from the ride’s car to the house, and order even more expensive prepared food from restaurants/pizza parlors. I will be a regular customer!
as pointed out, other cities have tried this; SF didn’t last long , due to limited selection, high prices, and lack of critical mass to make it profitable.
Sounds like a money maker, but I really doubt that people will want to pay someone for their gas, driving time, vehicle maintenance, and time getting all the groceries. I mean, lets say they charge $25 a week to deliver groceries once a week to you. That’s $1300 per year, and I don’t know that seniors, who already have a limited income, are going to have that much extra cash to spend on this.
Haven’t tried this service yet, but am strongly considering it for the reason stated by LakeErieSeaGulls above. I live with my 83-year old mother and work full-time. I take her to medical appointments, do all the grocery shopping and picking up of meds and see about getting work done around the house. I’m exhausted! Something like this would really help take some of the load off.