I'm a little late to the posting party here, but I also use www.grocerycheckout.com and love the service :-) The cost is negligible, the delivery people are prompt and pleasant, and the quality is fantastic (my most dreaded part of grocery shopping is trying to find the best apples/pears/etc, but they do all that for me). I have a car, and live relatively close a grocery store, but between two jobs and volunteering, it's a huge time saver to know my groceries will be showing up at my apartment door. I agree with DeliveryBoy, we don't need a chain grocery store downtown when we can help support this great local business :-)

City Hall isn't the problem. The major grocery chains need to see a market there that can sustain the investment. The cost of land will be an issue since there are not many parcels that have a footprint large enough for a store and the loading bays needed plus the required parking spaces. The Loblaws that was located at Wellington and York was a small store compared to the new stores but it was great for getting groceries when we had to commute to Ingersoll from Richmond and the stores there were closed by the time we made it home. The product mix would not have to be as large as the mega stores so maybe a franchise like the Valu Marts might work. They already have two .. Wortley and Oxford so maybe someone could tale a risk.

Armed with the grocery list of a downtown London couple, I was sent on a mission: Track how long and how much it costs to find the 27 items on their list downtown, then head to a suburban grocery store to comparison-shop for the same items.
http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/06/07/18248431.html

Lots of Londoners are hungry for a downtown grocery store -- that's clear.
Not so evident is whether the downtown will get one. And if it does, where would it go?
http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/05/18/18163396.html

Hamilton doesn’t have one.
Neither does Kitchener.
And it would be a long walk to the nearest supermarket for most downtown Windsorites.
http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/05/15/18151766.html

We're no Big Smoke, but big enough -- and what's more, downtown London has exactly the population mix a small grocery store could cash in on, one observer says.
http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/05/11/18135876.html

With traditional methods not seeming to work, some people pushing for a downtown London grocery store say it might take a Twitter campaign to get one.
http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/05/11/18135871.html

The Covent Garden Market doesn't fear a grocery store, mostly because the market offers not just quality but also "excellent customer service, knowledge of our products" and specialty items not found in a typical grocery store.
http://www.lfpress.com/news/whoslondon/2011/05/06/18115176.html

They used to be there offering goods, packaged and fresh, to downtown London residents.
http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/05/04/18104826.html

It's got air, it's got water, it's got shelter and a lot of fun things to do. But, no pun intended, there's still one missing ingredient about living downtown, Londoners tell us - food.
http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/05/03/18099196.html

Grocerycheckout. com is excellent. Have used it for years. Delivery charge is less than a taxi home with all that stuff. Originally geared to UWO students, it is attracting carless seniors who can't manage the grocery load at all. Best way to see if it suits you is to go to the website, even place a sample order (minimum $50). Pleasant helpful staff. While a walk-to store appeals, in the 21st century and internet era footing it and carrying multiple loads is not the only way to restock one's fridge and pantry. Can supplement with occasional Shoppers delivery, remembering milk is not available there.

@deliveryboy - already done!

@J Glad I could help out! Spread the word man. Instead of a big chain, support a local company!

how totally cool is this grocery delivery idea!! now i don't even need to use my car at all!! thank you SO much for the link deliveryboy :)

Reasonable, indeed. Well played, Deliveryboy. Well played. :)

@thatguyinlondon The delivery charges are quite negligible when you consider the time and money saved from using any other form of transportation. I believe it's around $8 for orders between $50 and $100. Anything over $100 and I think its only $6. Beats a cab everytime in my opinion. Not to mention I can spend the two hours it would normally take me to shop doing something else I'd rather be doing... and that list is a lot longer than my grocery list :-)

Deliveryboy:

Interesting. What are the delivery charges? I see a $10 charge for redelivery if you are not home, but nothing for the originally delivery.

I find the most prohibitive factor of shopping online is the shipping charge.

I can see, regardless of the charge, how this could be good for many people, but many still like to go and get their own groceries.

London doesn't need a grocery store downtown! IT ALREADY HAS ONE!!! www.grocerycheckout.com! Best produce, best quality and competitive prices... AND they deliver right to your door! Who needs a "store"?

Shoppers, urgh... I don't have much love for them at all. I certainly wouldn't be going out of my way to shop there, especially if the new store has the same hours as the current downtown one has. - They close right at 5pm don't they? How does that help anyone?

I believe that is a Shopper's Drug Mart, Though they sell groceries and have some good sales, as a regular grocery store they fail. Last week I say Kraft Dinner for $1.99. But to be fair, it was "on sale" the next day or so for 99 cents.