Troubled online grocer Webvan Group Inc. recently announced it had implemented its proprietary inventory and delivery software systems in the Portland, OR, and Seattle warehouses that it acquired from HomeGrocer last summer.
The announcement marks the last mile in Webvan's road to transitioning several of the former HomeGrocer locations. The online grocer, which serves seven major markets, started transitioning its technology with the San Diego operation in January.
Gracy Kwon, spokeswoman for HomeGrocer, Foster City, CA, cited benefits to Webvan's system such as real-time inventory reports and overall operational efficiency but stopped shy of saying that the HomeGrocer technology was hurting her company's bottom line.
“The whole goal was to put together our best-of-class [systems],” Kwon said. “We feel that we've done that and have the most cost-effective operations possible.”
