Sir; You report (The Grocer, March 24, page 6) that Iceland says its tie-up with Booker has "answered its e-commerce prayers". This sounds like the last gasp wish of a dying soul.
The "e" in "e-commerce" is relatively easy; the "commerce" part is more complex. In home shopping terms it is a high calibre mixture of quality fresh and general foods, range, availablity, accuracy, logistics, customer concentration and, above all, a receptive audience.
However much extra space and range Booker may bring, the service has to appeal to the Iceland/ Booker customers to succeed.
Iceland has already proved it does not appeal to "organic" shoppers. By and large it is they who form the bulk of the grocery home shoppers of today. Booker will make no difference to that.
I predict that Iceland will pull out of internet grocery home shopping by the end of the year.
James Millar
CEO
The Food Ferry
New Covent Garden
London SW8
{{LETTERS }}
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