I’ve seen the white vans buzzing around the neighborhood, most notably on Saturday and Sunday mornings. After a while, I figured out it was because my neighbors were getting their Amazon PrimeNow deliveries. I finally caved with the impending holiday season and signed up for Prime, eager to see what goodies I could have delivered straight from my door (since the prospect of going to Green Hills in December to visit the Whole Foods made my chest tighten). Nashville is one of 32 cities across the country that can receive PrimeNow two-hour deliveries, so I was ready to reap one of the few rewards of living in It City.
Immediately, I was disappointed to discover that in Amazon’s recent partnership with Whole Foods, the items available were primarily from the house brand. If I wanted Dandies (vegan marshmallows) or some obscure flavor of Gardenburger, I was out of luck.
So I perused the offerings in PrimeNow, hoping to find some treasure that I’d want delivered. I’m picky about produce, so that eliminated a lot of choices. I’m also picky about the brands of milk I buy. (So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk for me; Hatcher Dairy for the rest of the family.) And, OK, I’m picky about nearly every other grocery item I buy, too. This PrimeNow thing wasn’t going to do much for me with regard to groceries.
Curious to know what other people were buying, I looked through the pages of “Nashville favorites.” Bananas, coffee, toilet paper, toothpaste and cat litter topped the list. Sure, yeah, if I still had a cat, litter and cat food delivered to my door would be helpful for sure. Further into the list, chips and dips, frozen pizzas and burritos, sugary cereal and ice cream showed up. OK. Not sure I've ever had an emergency need for a frozen burrito or ice cream, but I am not in college nor am I pregnant, so. But then I see Gatorade, Vitamin Water and Pedialyte. Pedialyte on its own makes a lot of sense. It’s not easy to get out to the store with a spewing child at home. But it was pretty near the Gatorade and Vitamin Water and not far behind those frozen pizzas and Tostitos. I was sensing some clear patterns. I don't think I have to elaborate.
Eggs, milk, a case of Diet Coke, various types of snacking cheese and snack-size bags of chips and cookies were also on the list (oh hey, busy parents). They were followed with pregnancy tests and PlayStation controllers. No doubt in my mind that the last two items were not bought by the same people, though. Ahem.
Regardless, nothing really interested or compelled me other than the $3 ready-to-eat avocado. (I’ll be the judge of that, Amazon.) If I’m missing something fantastic that I should want to have in two hours or less, please let me know. However, I should note that I actually like going to the grocery (and choosing my own food). I realize I may be in the minority in that regard. So more than likely, Publix has nothing to worry about with my business.
