Yuma would be good place to test delivery

Parent company of Fry’s getting ready to try driverless deliveries

Going to the grocery store is a bit of a chore. We march in, load the cart, and hope that the quantity of food is sufficient to hold the family over for the week. Three days later, we dart back in because we’ve run out of orange juice, butter and cat food.

What if you could go online, compile your grocery cart, and have it delivered to your house … by a selfdriving delivery service? According to the Associated Press, it’s a possibility, as Kroger gets ready to test such a service.

“Customers will be able to order groceries from a mobile app, much like people summon an Uber or Lyft ride. After the order is placed, a driverless vehicle will deliver the groceries at a curb, requiring the customers to be present to fetch the items. The vehicles will probably be opened with a numeric code,” the AP reports.

It’s an intriguing option, with some pros and cons.

On one hand, such a service would take a chore off the list — place the order, and the groceries literally arrive at the door.

On the other hand, it’s a disruptive change in yet another industry that could have implications for brick and mortar stores. One would assume that one would still need grocery stores — after all, the food has to come from somewhere. And one would assume that said stores would still need employees, because someone would have to fill the self-driving car before it leaves for deliveries. But what it would mean for these stores and their employees is an unknown.

However, Kroger is the parent company for Fry’s Food Stores, and the AP report notes that while a location for the new delivery service hasn’t been determined, it will most likely involve Fry’s supermarkets in California or Arizona.

Might we suggest Yuma? It would be interesting to see how such a service functioned here. Our streets are wide, and less congested than bigger markets, which would be perfect for testing robotic grocery delivery.

What do you think, Yuma? Is the service a good idea? Would Yuma be a good test market? Let us know. Share your thoughts online at www.YumaSun. com, or send in a Letter to the Editor at letters@ yumasun.com.