So far, the company is pleased with the results. Inc. The Gomez Scorecard evaluates Internet companies in areas such as ease of use, customer confidence, onsite resources, relationship services and overall cost. Webvan has clearly leveraged its massive funding into a top-notch site, says Matt Stamski, senior analyst for Gomez Advisors. The site combines features that save customers time and help them make food decisions, as well as offering robust services and products. These robust services include, in addition to a full range of grocery and drugstore items, simple recipes and weekly menus developed by Webvan s culinary director.
Customers can also purchase chef-prepared meals, ready to reheat and serve.
The site includes a wide range of valuable insights on cooking and on an extensive variety of foods and beverages, plus information on all the different types of products it carries. For instance, it s open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It offers a much larger variety than most grocery stores. It features products from local vendors, allowing customers to discover new specialty and gourmet foods. Most significantly, the carousel-style fulfillment process results in 50 percent less handling than in the grocery store.