Gopher Grocery
Encyclopedia
Gopher Grocery is an online grocer
serving the Twin Cities
Metropolitan area of Minnesota
. It was founded in December of 2005 by William Orkin. It was based on the belief that grocery delivery does not have to be expensive, with its key selling points being a $2 delivery fee and low prices that compare to the supermarket. Initially, the company focused on delivering to college students on the University of Minnesota
campus, an area with no major grocery stores within walking distance. Gopher Grocery now services over 6,000 residential customers, as well as businesses, childcare facilities, schools, and group homes across 103 zip codes in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area with surrounding suburbs. The company's annual revenue is over $1 million as of 2010.
Gopher Grocery’s main competitor was SimonDelivers
who eventually shut down and was bought out by Coborn’s Incorporated in 2008. SimonDelivers
reopened as CobornsDelivers that same year and became one of Gopher Grocery’s main competitors along with Lunds
/Byerly’s. Gopher Grocery began with a similar model to SimonDelivers
and CobornDelivers, keeping grocery inventory in a warehouse and delivering within an hour of ordering. In 2006, Gopher Grocery changed their model by taking the idea of just-in-time (business) to the extreme. The company began taking online orders for next-day delivery and shopping for the groceries on the morning of the delivery day, thus eliminating the need for a warehouse and inventory. This model is what makes Gopher Grocery unique in the online grocer
business. This lack of inventory, along with convenience and low prices, has helped it survive and experience successful growth by avoiding the pitfalls of other online grocery businesses including SimonDelivers
and Webvan
Gopher Grocery sources items from local, ultra-efficient distributors. Groceries are kept cold and fresh for delivery through the use of insulated containers with dry ice. The company uses fuel-efficient vans, painted yellow with the company logo on them. Gopher Grocery delivers groceries directly to the consumer instead of leaving bins on porches or in lobbies, a strong point in terms of both customer service and food safety.
Online grocer
Online Grocer refers to a grocery store that allows private individuals and businesses to purchase groceries and grocery products online. There is usually a delivery charge for this service...
serving the Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
Metropolitan area of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. It was founded in December of 2005 by William Orkin. It was based on the belief that grocery delivery does not have to be expensive, with its key selling points being a $2 delivery fee and low prices that compare to the supermarket. Initially, the company focused on delivering to college students on the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
campus, an area with no major grocery stores within walking distance. Gopher Grocery now services over 6,000 residential customers, as well as businesses, childcare facilities, schools, and group homes across 103 zip codes in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area with surrounding suburbs. The company's annual revenue is over $1 million as of 2010.
Gopher Grocery’s main competitor was SimonDelivers
SimonDelivers
SimonDelivers, Inc. was an online grocery that primarily served the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota, Rochester, Forest Lake, New Prague, Belle Plaine and Jordan, MN and western Wisconsin cities such as Hudson, New Richmond and River Falls...
who eventually shut down and was bought out by Coborn’s Incorporated in 2008. SimonDelivers
SimonDelivers
SimonDelivers, Inc. was an online grocery that primarily served the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota, Rochester, Forest Lake, New Prague, Belle Plaine and Jordan, MN and western Wisconsin cities such as Hudson, New Richmond and River Falls...
reopened as CobornsDelivers that same year and became one of Gopher Grocery’s main competitors along with Lunds
Lunds
Lunds and Byerly's are upscale supermarkets in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area of Minnesota. They are both owned and operated by Lund Food Holdings, Inc....
/Byerly’s. Gopher Grocery began with a similar model to SimonDelivers
SimonDelivers
SimonDelivers, Inc. was an online grocery that primarily served the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota, Rochester, Forest Lake, New Prague, Belle Plaine and Jordan, MN and western Wisconsin cities such as Hudson, New Richmond and River Falls...
and CobornDelivers, keeping grocery inventory in a warehouse and delivering within an hour of ordering. In 2006, Gopher Grocery changed their model by taking the idea of just-in-time (business) to the extreme. The company began taking online orders for next-day delivery and shopping for the groceries on the morning of the delivery day, thus eliminating the need for a warehouse and inventory. This model is what makes Gopher Grocery unique in the online grocer
Online grocer
Online Grocer refers to a grocery store that allows private individuals and businesses to purchase groceries and grocery products online. There is usually a delivery charge for this service...
business. This lack of inventory, along with convenience and low prices, has helped it survive and experience successful growth by avoiding the pitfalls of other online grocery businesses including SimonDelivers
SimonDelivers
SimonDelivers, Inc. was an online grocery that primarily served the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota, Rochester, Forest Lake, New Prague, Belle Plaine and Jordan, MN and western Wisconsin cities such as Hudson, New Richmond and River Falls...
and Webvan
Webvan
Webvan was an online "credit and delivery" grocery business that went bankrupt in 2001. It was headquartered in Foster City, California, USA, near Silicon Valley. It delivered products to customers' homes within a 30-minute window of their choosing. At its peak, it offered service in ten U.S...
Gopher Grocery sources items from local, ultra-efficient distributors. Groceries are kept cold and fresh for delivery through the use of insulated containers with dry ice. The company uses fuel-efficient vans, painted yellow with the company logo on them. Gopher Grocery delivers groceries directly to the consumer instead of leaving bins on porches or in lobbies, a strong point in terms of both customer service and food safety.
See also
- AmazonFreshAmazonFreshAmazonFresh is a subsidiary of the Amazon.com American e-commerce company in Seattle, Washington. It is reviving the business model of ordering groceries online for home delivery first popularized by such companies as HomeGrocer.com and Webvan in the late '90s....
- FreshDirectFreshDirectright|thumb|Fresh Direct logo FreshDirect is an online grocer that delivers to residences and offices in the New York City metropolitan area. FreshDirect also offers next-day delivery to most of Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island, Nassau County, Westchester County, ...
- Grocery GatewayGrocery GatewayGrocery Gateway is a grocery delivery service based in Malton, Ontario and serves the entire Greater Toronto Area .Grocery Gateway was the brainchild of Toronto entrepreneur Bill Di Nardo, who along with co-founders Scott Bryan, Stephen Tallevi, Tomas Berinstein, Ben Jones, and Alan Lamb, started...
- HomeGrocerHomeGrocerHomeGrocer.com, Inc. was one of the first online supermarket businesses, started in 1997. It was founded by Terry Drayton. Buoyed by investments from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Amazon.com, John Malone of Liberty Media, Martha Stewart and Jim Barksdale, HomeGrocer.com built and operated the...
- HyVee
- PeapodPeapodPeapod, LLC is an online grocery delivery service owned by Royal Ahold and operating only in a select number of US cities. The company is based in Skokie, Illinois."." Peapod. Retrieved on February 15, 2011. "Corporate Headquarters 9933 Woods Drive, Skokie, IL 60077 ."-History:Peapod was founded in...
- Pink DotPink DotPink Dot is a Los Angeles–based chain of grocery stores that is known for delivering items such as groceries, deli food, cigarettes, and alcohol. The store is open 365 days a year...
- Publix Direct
- ShopRite (United States)ShopRite (United States)ShopRite Supermarkets is a retailers' cooperative chain of supermarkets in the northeastern United States, with stores in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania...
- Winder FarmsWinder FarmsWinder Farms, headquartered in West Valley City, Utah, is an online grocer providing dairy and other grocery products to households in Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada.-History:The business was started in 1880 by John R. Winder...
- YourGrocer.comYourGrocer.ComYourGrocer.com is owned by New YourGrocer LLC, which began operations in the greater New York City area in May 2002. Marketed as "the warehouse club that delivers," YourGrocer.com aims to provide the convenience of online shopping and home delivery with the economies of buying groceries at...