IP: Too Much Information!!!

[David Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Date: Tue, 30 Sep 1997 01:43:14 -0700
From: jwharton () netcom com (John Wharton)
To: farber () cis upenn edu
Subject: Too Much Information!!!


Dave--


I've been poking around on "www.netgrocer.com", another of these new web-
based grocery shopping services.  Call up their page, pick items from their 
inventory, pay by credit card, and all will be delivered to your door.  


Only these folks use centralized distribution with a single warehouse at 
the Dallas-Ft. Worth airport, and they deliver via Federal Express (!).  
Delivery charges seem nominal; e.g., $5.96 would cover up to 40 pounds of 
stuff, but it can take up to four days, so they only carry non-perishables.  
Which is just as well, since most shoppers (I'm told) prefer to select meat 
and produce themselves.


An intriguing business model.  And the web page is interesting, and uses 
some creative promotional gimmicks.  But what I've been enjoying most are 
the remarkable facilities for consumer comparison shopping.  


For example, from the home page you can call up a list of special sales 
items -- 13 items today, ranging from Kleenex to antacid to macaroni to 
tomato sauce.  Each item shows a picture of the package, its quantity or 
weight, and sale price, with a link to further nutritional information.


But here's what truly fascinates me, and here's where the "Too Much 
Information!" phenomenon comes into play: Comparison shoppers may sort 
these sales items for display according to any of a dozen criteria.  


They can be alphabetized by brand name, e.g., or by price, for those on a 
budget.  Or you can list them according to "unit cost".  Here, Kleenex is 
the clear choice of cost-conscious shoppers, at only $0.0132 (per tissue).  
Higher are Tutturossa Tomato Puree at $0.39 (per pound), and Xtra Laundry 
Detergent at $0.79 (per quart).  (Crystal Light Lemonade Mix costs a 
whopping $29.05 per pound.  Imagine what "Equal" would go for!)


On a diet?  When these items are sorted by total calories, Kleenex again 
wins out, followed by Pepcid AC Antacid and Xtra Detergent.  The most 
fattening items seem to be Vlasic Sweet Pickles and Mueller's Ready-Cut 
Macaroni.  


Can't wait to see how they compare on the Saturated Fat and Cholesterol 
scales.  Although something tells me a quart of Xtra Detergent with Bleach 
will probably sweep the field on both the Sodium and Potassium counts...


  --john wharton








************************************************************************
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
 safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."       - Ben Franklin, ~1784
************************************************************************