Market News

Major e-retailer moves into U.S. grocery business

Amazon.com has launched a new grocery section on its site that features some 14,000 items and the ability to get free shipping through either the company\'s Super Saver Shipping program or prepaid Amazon Prime program. [Amazon.com will ship anywhere in the continental United States.] The new Grocery section expands on Amazon\'s previous efforts to sell food online. In certain cases Amazon will be carrying entire lines of products, far more than might be carried by a supermarket - such as more than 80 varieties of Jello. This is not a third party-driven site, or a portal to another service; Amazon is selling the products online, stocking them in a warehouse, and handling all the shipping. Source: CFIG Electronic Broadcast - Canadian Grocer May 29, 2006.