I think that online shopping may be for the rich and upper middle class but the majority of Americans will still shop in retail outlets, especially for freshness and lower cost.

I have family members who have disabilities. Online grocery shopping would be a big help to them.

I think this will be decided by whether or not there is a demand for it.

However, Kroger (a company that owns several major grocery store chains) wants to gradually move to a future where people shop for groceries online, and just go to the store to pick up orders, or pay extra to have them delivered. They7 already plan to convert 400 stores to self check out only, in ordr to not have to pay people to work the check out counters.

There is so much to do in this earth and so little time to do it. I don’t mind outsourcing chores, that’s why I use a dishwasher instead of cleaning them all myself. Plus you cannot stop the progression of technology, people have tried it before and failed. All you can do is direct it’s develop and making sure people have access to healthy food, not just junk food is something that can be directed. Besides not walking by the candy displays by the cash register might actually make me eat healthier.

NOt sure about government control but I won't make myself depend on it . THe food supply chain is already tenuous if you live in urban areas and if on line purchasing diminishes local stores people could get in a pinch pretty fast if the transportation grid is disrupted for what ever reason

I purchase a lot online, and ordering online was a necessity when I was the single mom of a toddler. At that time, a lot of stores around here closed around 9pm but there was an online grocery delivery service starting up (something like Peapod?) and it was cool to be able to order non-perishables that way. Perishables were prohibitively expensive which is also the problem with food deserts.

Getting fresh food to food deserts isn't really the problem. Neither is having credit (people without credit commonly buy gift/Visa cards with cash which they can use online). The problem is the price. If they had the money, they'd branch out from a diet that's rife with cheap carbs. There are people working full-time who buy milk and cut it in half with water in order to make it last longer. They dilute soups, macaroni and cheese, and oatmeal to a watery consistency. These are not people who can afford fresh produce even if it was at the corner store.

The real fix is something everyone seems to shy away from: we need to better educate/train our population and then provide them with a minimum wage they can live on. Some people make that sound like they'd be living the good life, when all it means is they can pay rent with a partner/roommate, afford basic living expenses, and possibly have enough spare cash to buy fresh greens. When that happens, I think the market will automatically start expanding into the current food deserts.

Yes, I think it should be allowed.

And I think we should fix the travesty of food deserts.

I purchase many groceries, pet supplies, and household products online.

I think it should be about choice. I don't think it should be one way or the other. There is a market for both.

What a good question, HeathenFarmer. I will not buy on-line food. The only thing I buy is books and that's only because all the bookstores have disappeared. Thanks, internet. I'm afraid that the few retail grocers that will be left will charge very high prices. (The High Cost of Poverty. Documentary). We're going down a rabbit hole unless something like more farmer's markets spring up and we do more community and urban gardening. I also refuse to use the self-check out as it takes jobs away.

All I know is that when I was too sick to move, without having a partner to help, being able to order and have the things I needed delivered was wonderful. I can't speak very much on the solutions to the problems such a service creates but I know we'll all be better off when we figure them out.

Online ordering has it's place. I use it (with store pick up; shipping costs for perishables render online too expensive) for items that only come one way (canned, frozen, etc). When I need fresh items that I need to observe to select (produce, meats), I still go to the grocery.

Since I still go and my online orders are still prepared at my brick and morter grocery, that store should continue to be viable. I do not see the flexibility and added convenience as bad things.

Geee.... I got a father in law that recieves meals on wheels. I didnt know that getting groceries on line was a problem. I thought this would be great for the elderly and crippled. Even those self driving cars are helpful to take them to the dkctors.

I don't want to turn into a vegetable unable to do my own things. My work/job is not that important that I can't dedicate time to be "normal" and risk be around normal people doing normal tasks.

I am very aware of this problem and it was a topic of much discussion when I was on the advisory council for a city park. Some deemed this another example of social injustice. However, in reality I see this as an overpopulation and sprawl issue to me. A big part of one's quality of life should include being able to pick the food one eats through actual manipulating the food before purchasing it. That will be gone with online retailing. The only real and sustainable solution is to redirect our economy away from constant growth and start practicing family planning and keep our numbers in check. Sustainable growth is an oxymoron especially on a planet with finite resources. Grocery stores are a resource!