Delivery

Online operations of big grocery chains maneuvered through the dot-com devastation and are now showing positive signs of life. They're finding that the payoffs from Internet retailing reach beyond incremental sales.

NEW YORK - Freshdirect.com, a New York-based fresh-food manufacturing and delivery service launched last July, has announced that it surpassed the 1,000 orders-a-day milestone on Dec. 6, and now attracts some 2,000 new customers every week.

LOS ANGELES - By working with multiple local food companies, leading convenience retailer 7-Eleven Inc. is ready to offer fresh-made-daily and fresh-delivered-daily pastries, sandwiches, salads, entrees, sushi, fresh-squeezed juices, dairy products and produce to customers in its Southern California stores.

TORONTO -- The Home Depot Canada, part of the world's largest home improvement retailer, today announced an online partnership with Grocery Gateway, Canada's leading consumer-direct online service, for the home delivery of hundreds of home improvement and household items to customers in the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario.

SKOKIE, Ill. - Online grocer Peapod Inc., a subsidiary of Royal Ahold, on Tuesday said it has expanded its delivery service to 14 Chicago suburbs and the South Side community of Beverly, Crain's Chicago Business reports.

LAS VEGAS - Albertsons.com, the online grocery service of Albertsons Inc., on Monday began accepting orders in the Las Vegas area as it expands its service to 84 zip codes.

LAKELAND, Fla. -- PublixDirect, the online arm of Publix Super Markets, announced that it will begin accepting manufacturer coupons from consumers shopping over the Internet.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Vons, a division of Safeway Inc., on Friday announced the launch of its new online grocery shopping and delivery service, Vons.com, in the San Diego area.