THAT PROMISE IN TIME? "TODAY" NATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE
CORRESPONDENT JEFF ROSSEN IS TRYING THEM OUT.FF ROSSEN IS
TRYING THEM OUT. GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. >> THIS IS GROCERIES.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT STUFF. AMAZON IS DOUBLING DOWN ONFF.
AMAZON IS DOUBLING DOWN ON DELIVERY.
DELIVERY.
ANALYSTS SAY THEYRE EVEN WORKING ON A NATIONWIDE DELIVERY
SERVICE TO COMPETE WITH FEDEX
AND U.P.S.
AND U.P.S.
SO THIS COULD JUST BE THE START.
DELIVERING GROCERIES.
AND THATS RIGHT, AMAZON IS NOW OFFERING FREE DELIVERY FROMNOW
OFFERING FREE DELIVERY FROM WHOLE FOODS.
WHOLE FOODS.
RIGHT TO YOUR FRONT DOOR. BUT AMAZON IS NOT ALONE..
BUT AMAZON IS NOT ALONE. THERE IS ACTUALLY ANOTHER
COMPANY OFFERING THE SAME
SERVICE.
SO HOW DOES AMAZON STOCK UP.
DO THEY ARRIVE ON TIME, ARE THE
GROCERIES FRESH WHEN THEY
ARRIVE?
THIS MORNING WE ARE TRYING THEM
OUT, PUTTING BOTH COMPANIES
HEAD-TO-HEAD.
WE USE AMAZON FOR EVERYTHING. FROM ORDERING TOILET PAPER AND
VACUUM CLEANERS TO STREAMING
MOVIES AND TV SHOWS. NOW THEYRE IN THE GROCERY
BUSINESS, ACQUIRING WHOLE FOODS.
AND A NEW ANNOUNCEMENT.
AMAZON WILL DELIVER WHOLE FOODS
TO YOUR DOORSTEP IN SELECT
CITIES IN JUST TWO HOURS.
BUT THEY HAVE COMPETITION.
INSTACART ALREADY OFFERING THE
SAME THING.
SAME THING. BOTH PROMISE FREE DELIVERY FOR
ORDERS OVER $35. FOR AMAZON PRIME AND INSTACART
EXPRESS MEMBERS.
EXPRESS MEMBERS.
SO WE WONDERED, ARE THEY REALLY
DELIVERING ON THAT PROMISE? AND WHO IS FASTER? PROMISE?
AND WHO IS FASTER? WERE GOING TO TRY OUT A LITTLE
EXPERIMENT HERE.
THIS IS MY PRODUCER, LINDSEY WITH ME.MY PRODUCER, LINDSEY
WITH ME. HEY, LINDSEY.
HEY, LINDSEY. >> HELLO.
>> HELLO. >> SO WERE GOING TO DO SOME
SHOPPING TODAY.
SHOPPING TODAY.
>> THATS RIGHT.
>> I AM ON AMAZON.
I SIGNED UP FOR PRIME, IM ON
AMAZON, ILL BE ORDERING MY
GROCERIES FROM HERE.
>> AND IM GOING TO BE ORDERING FROM INSTACART. TO BE ORDERING
FROM INSTACART.
>> WERE GOING TO BE ORDERING THE EXACT GROCERIES, THE SAME
SHOPPING LIST TO SEE IS ONE MORE
EXPENSIVE.
EXPENSIVE.
AND SEE WHICH WILL GET HERE FASTER. WHICH WILL GET HERE
FASTER.
>> YEP.
>> FIRST, WE FILL UP OUR CARTS ONLINE.T, WE FILL UP OUR CARTS
ONLINE.
FIVE BANANAS. >> FIVE BANANAS.
HONEY NUT CHEERIOS.
>> ONE BOX OF HONEY NUT
CHEERIOS.
CHEERIOS.
>> Reporter: 365 EVERYDAY VALUE CHICKEN BREAST, BONELESS. VALUE
CHICKEN BREAST, BONELESS. >> DONE.
>> DONE.
>> WE LOVE ICE CREAM, SO HOW ABOUT THE HALF BAKED PINT.OW
ABOUT THE HALF BAKED PINT. >> GOT THE SAME EXACT ONE.
>> TIME TO CHECK OUT.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY.
WE HAVE THE SAME ITEMS IN OUR
CARTS.
WHATS INSTACART TELLING YOU?
>> ITS TELLING ME IT CAN
DELIVER WITHIN TWO HOURS FROM
WHEN I CLICK PURCHASE SO IM
GOING TO CHOOSE THAT.
>> WITHIN TWO HOURS OF WHEN YOU
CLICK.
OKAY, AMAZON, A LITTLE
DIFFERENT.
THERES ALREADY A DIFFERENCE
HERE.
AMAZON GIVES YOU TWO AN HOUR
DELIVERY WINDOWS SO RIGHT NOW
ITS AROUND 1:00.
THE NEXT AVAILABLE DELIVERY WINDOW IS AROUND 2 TO 4:00 P.M.
SO ILL CLICK ON THAT.
AND THATS NOT THE ONLY
DIFFERENCE.
DIFFERENCE.
LOOK AT THE PRICES.
WITHOUT TIP, MY ORDER FROM
AMAZON, $40.25. LINDSEYS INSTACART ORDER,
$45.76.
$45.76.
WHY MORE EXPENSIVE? EVEN THOUGH INSTACART WAIVES THE
DELIVERY FEE FOR EXPRESS
MEMBERS, LOOK AT THAT.
THERE IS AN EXTRA SERVICE
CHARGE.
CHARGE.
YOU READY? >> READY.?
>> READY. >> 1, 2, 3, ORDER.
NOW, THE NEXT QUESTION, WHEN
WILL THE FOOD ARRIVE?
WE WAIT AND WAIT.
SOMEONE IS HERE.
BUT IS IT INSTACART OR AMAZON?
>> AN HOUR AND 45 MINUTES.
UNDER TWO HOURS.
>> ITS INSTACART ARRIVING
FIRST.
FIRST.
BUT HOW DID THE FOOD SURVIVE THE
JOURNEY.
>> GOT MY BAGS RIGHT HERE.
>> LETS SEE WHAT YOU GOT.
THE MILK, ITS COLD.
THE MILK IS REALLY COLD.
>> YEAH.
ICE CREAM IS IN HERE. >> HOW DOES THAT FEEL?
>> THIS IS PRETTY FROZEN.
YOU CAN SEE THE ICE STILL ON IT.
>> THATS FROZEN.
THE YOGURT IS COLD AND THE
EGGS --
EGGS --
>> NOT BROKEN.
THEY ALL LOOK PRETTY GOOD. BUT ME MISSED SOMETHING.D.
BUT ME MISSED SOMETHING. THEY MISSED THE AVOCADOS.
>> WE DONT HAVE THE AVOCADOS.
>> SO INSTACART CAME ON TIME,
EVERYTHING IN GOOD CONDITION,
BUT THEY MESSED UP, WHICH IS A
BIG DEAL BECAUSE YOU PAID FOR
IT.
IT.
>> EXACTLY.
>> OKAY.
BUT WHEN WILL AMAZON SHOW UP?
>> WOW.
WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF
INSTACART, AMAZON IS HERE.
HI, HOW ARE YOU?
>> MR. JEFFREY.
>> THATS ME THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
SO HOW DID THEY DO?
>> OKAY.
AMAZON TIME.
LETS RIP THESE OPEN. LOOK AT THIS.E OPEN.
LOOK AT THIS. LOOK AT THAT.
IT COMES IN LIKE A COOLING
ALUMINUM THING.
ALUMINUM THING. I CAN ACTUALLY KEEP THIS.
THE CHICKEN IS COLD TO THE
TOUCH.
TOUCH.
>> MILK IS COLD.
YOGURT IS COLD TOO.
>> AND THE EGGS ARE -- TOGETHER. NOT BROKEN.EGGS ARE -- TOGETHER.
NOT BROKEN.
>> NOT BROKEN.
>> BUT THEY FORGOT THE ICE
CREAM.
>> NO ICE CREAM FOR YOU.
>> SO EVERYTHING LOOKS PRETTY
GOOD, BUT I PAID FOR SOMETHING I
DIDNT GET FROM AMAZON.
THATS A PROBLEM.
AMAZON REFUNDED ME FOR THE ICE
CREAM, AND GAVE ME A $5 CREDIT, TELLING NBC NEWS, MISSING ITEMS
ARE RARE, BUT IF CUSTOMERS
NOTIFY AMAZON, THEYLL WORK TO
MAKE IT RIGHT.
INSTACART TELLING US, THE
SERVICE FEE HELPS PROVIDE
CUSTOMERS WITH THE BEST SERVICE
POSSIBLE.
POSSIBLE.
AND MAY BE USED FOR WAGES, CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND OPERATIONAL
EXPENSES.
EXPENSES.
BUT DIDNT COMMENT ON THE
MISSING AVOCADOS.
THE GROCERY DELIVERY WARS
HEATING UP ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
>> TRADE YOU AN AVOCADO FOR THE
ICE CREAM.
>> FINE.
>> DONE.
>> THEYRE ARGUING WHETHER THEY
WOULD RATHER MISS THE AVOCADOS
OR THE ICE CREAM.
I THINK ITS OBVIOUS.
>> GOT TO GET THE ICE CREAM.
>> RIGHT NOW, AMAZON OFFERS THE SERVICE IN SIX CITIES, INCLUDING
AUSTIN, TEXAS, WHERE WE TAPED
OUR EXPERIMENT, GREAT CITY.
LOVE AUSTIN.
LOVE AUSTIN. EXPERTS BELIEVE AMAZON IS
PLANNING TO EXPAND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY.
AS FOR INSTACART, ITS NOT JUST
WHOLE FOODS, THE COMPANY
ANNOUNCING A SIMILAR PARTNERSHIP
WITH SAMS CLUB IN A FEW PILOT
CITIES, AS WELL.
SO ITS --
>> THE BAG THAT KEPT THINGS
COLD.
>> REALLY COOL.
AMAZON.
>> BUT THEY DIDNT REMEMBER THE
ICE CREAM.
>> FORGOT THE ICE CREAM.
AND THATS A DEAL-BREAKER.