Until now, online grocery shopping has been targeted to two-income families more concerned with convenience than cost. But it's getting cheaper. Webvan, a start-up in suburban San Francisco, charges no delivery fee. And though it won't equip you with a fridge, it will let you schedule deliveries in a half-hour window so you don't have to sit home all day. With a recent initial public stock offering, it raised funds to add 26 sites over the next three years.
Prices are competitive.
Many take manufacturers' coupons. It's also become easier. All these sites have features to help you save your lists from week to week so you don't have to search for your regular purchases again and again. For many consumers, the biggest frustration is logging on to grocers' sites only to find they don't yet operate locally. In the Boston and Washington areas.