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Pathmark Unveils Online Ordering in Edgewater

Posted on: Tuesday, 1 November 2005, 18:00 CST

By Kevin G. DeMarrais, The Record, Hackensack, N.J.

Nov. 1--Pathmark became the latest supermarket to offer online shopping with the launch Monday of a program that allows shoppers in Edgewater and Middletown to place orders over the Internet and pick up their bagged groceries at the store.

Based on responses at those stores and a third in Lawnside in Camden County, which is scheduled to begin online ordering soon, other stores will be added, said Rich Savner, spokesman for the 142-store, Carteret-based chain.

"Once we monitor the success of the program, which we expect to be the case, we expect to roll it out in phases," Savner said. "We want to make sure we don't go from three to 142 and realize we cannot handle the orders. That turns a positive into a negative."

Edgewater and Middletown were selected because the demographics of the communities' residents -- there are many dual-income households with both people working outside the home -- suggest they would be most likely to avail themselves of the time-saving convenience, even with the $10 fee per order.

Pickup hours are 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends.

All items except prescription drugs can be ordered online, and customers can use coupons, Savner said. To deal with consumer concern about quality of meat and produce, department managers will select the cut or choice ordered.

The Pathmark program is similar to ones at some ShopRite stores, including those in Oakland, Hoboken and Lincoln Park. Customers place orders over the Internet and store employees collect the items. When the customer arrives at the store, the bags are ready to go.

The Lincoln Park ShopRite started online ordering about a year ago, and it is "gaining and gaining every week," store manager August Eberhardt said. On Friday the store filled 57 orders, he said.

For now, the Pathmark program is limited to ordering, although home delivery "is something that may appear further down the road," Savner said.

A&P does not have online shopping in New Jersey, but it is available at its Food Emporium stores in New York City, along with delivery, spokeswoman Patti Councill said.

On-line shopping combined with home delivery has had several false starts in North Jersey in the past decade. Two programs -- Peapod, which is operated in the Northeast by Stop & Shop, and Fresh Direct, which is popular in New York City -- are not available in Bergen and Passaic counties.

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Record, Hackensack, N.J.

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PTMK, AHO, AHLN,

Source: The Record - Hackensack, New Jersey

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