Unit 6 Grocers Check Out 网络杂货零售商破产.doc

Unit 6 E-Grocers Check Out ? 网络杂货零售商破产 How Could a Business That Seemed a Perfect Fit for Cyber Shopping Fail to Attract Enough Customers? 一个适合网络购物吸引足够客户? CHRIS TAYLOR SAN FRANCISCO ?The awful moment of realization came last week for 1.3 million wired households. From Boston to the Bay, Web-savvy moms and dads discovered their salad days of food delivery on demand were over. There was no option other than that dreary old hunter-gatherer ritual-going to the grocery store. 上周一百三十万户联网用户终于意识到可怕的时刻到来了。从波士顿到海湾区，使用“网协”的家长们发现按需网上购物的大好时机已经结束。除了按部就班到杂货店去购物外已别无他法。 In one week, two of Americas largest online supermarkets-W on the West Coast and HomeR on the East-abruptly shut down. They left behind at least 2,000 people without jobs, and irate customers wondering what happened to a service that of all things cyber, seemed like a sure bet. 在一个星期,美国两个最大的在线超市---在西海岸Webvan公司和HomeRuns公司突然关闭。他们至少2000人工作,愤怒的客户想知道所有的服务网络发生了什么,是一个。 “ These guys swallowed the get-big-fast mantra hook, line and sinker,” says Ken Cassar, a senior analyst for Jupiter Media Metrix, a research and ratings firm. “They were too ambitious, but they couldnt have grabbed so much venture capital if they werent. Investors were eyeing IPO riches.” not counting the undisclosed seven-figure sum Webvan paid the San Francisco Giants to sponsor all the cupholders at Pacific Bell Park. “这些人完全相信做大，做快的神话,”肯·西泽说道，他是Jupiter Media Metrix公司对电影做研究和评级的高级分析师。“他们过于雄心勃勃,。投资者。,他们堆积的篝火烧掉了8亿6千万美元，不包括未公布七位数金额Webvan公司支付旧金山巨人队赞助所有在太平洋贝尔公园。The largest online supermarket left standing-P, serving New England and Chicago-is now owned by the $65 billion Dutch mega-chain Royal Ahold. Having a Dutch uncle has won Peapod its first operating profit since the high-tech home-delivery service was founded in 1989. It expects to be fully profitable by 2003, partly because it curtailed its early ambitions.最大的网上购物超市--- Peapod公司依然屹立着，它是为新英格兰和芝加哥地区提供服务的。现在已由身价650亿美元的荷兰大连锁公司Royal Ahold公司所拥有。自1989年推出高科技送货上门服务项目以来，在荷兰大叔的支撑下，Peapod公司首次获得经营利润。Peapod公司期待到