ORLANDO, Fla. – How would you like someone to do your grocery shopping for you, almost like your own personal assistant? It's a lot more affordable than you might think.
[WEB EXTRA: More on Lazy Delivery | Amazon offers non-perishable grocery delivery ]
Lazy Delivery, a service that will delivery anything from groceries to Starbucks, launched in Orlando Monday.
Shoppers in Central Florida can already order non-perishable groceries through Amazon.com, but Lazy Delivery offers same-day delivery -- including produce and dairy.
Lazy Delivery Marketing Director Daniel Zelaya believes the delivery fee is manageable and worth it for customers trying to "buy time" by having someone else do their shopping.
"For about $80 to $100 worth of groceries, the delivery fee tends to average out to between $10 and $15," Zelaya said. "So it's a very affordable fee. We take part of that and actually our personal liaisons take the biggest cut of that, and they also are tipped, so they generally make fairly decent money."
The personal liaisons are the drivers that get the order and bring it to the customer's doorstep. Carolina Gonzalez-Llanos was able to track her liaison's movements, so she knew when to take her lunch break and meet him.
"It worked out pretty well, I came home from my lunch break and I could get all the groceries I needed right away without having to worry about the lines at the Publix, which are usually pretty long in this area," she said.
Gonzalez-Llanos heard about the service from friends of hers who attended the University of Florida, where Lazy Delivery began. She recently graduated from the University of Central Florida, and believes it will be a big hit with Orlando's college students -- and their parents.
"I think it would keep their mind at ease, knowing someone could bring them everything they need without having to figure it out on their own," she said.
Lazy Delivery joins GardenGrocer.com in Orlando, which is popular among tourists. And the grocery delivery movement is gaining traction nationwide. Amazon.com recently launched a pilot program to deliver meat, dairy, and produce using insulated containers in San Francisco. If it goes well, some believe the internet giant could expand it to other markets, like Central Florida.
And judging by how Lazy Delivery is growing, the Central Florida delivery business for groceries -- along with other items like dry cleaning and even electronics -- looks promising.
"We actually have 23 hired already in Orlando and we're hiring more, so apply online," Zelaya said.