Peapod tests virtual grocery storefronts at select SEPTA stations, Philadelphia is pilot for nationwide service

With a reputation for a shortage of convenient grocery stores, shopping at SEPTA platforms could be a treat for Philadelphians.

Commuters here will be the first in the country to test out a new digital grocery service initiated by Peapod, an online grocer and delivery service affiliated with GIANT, according to Atlantic Cities and local PlanPhilly blog Eyes on the Street.

On my many Regional Rail trips this reporter haven’t come across any of the Peapod virtual storefronts reportedly installed at a few test SEPTA platforms, but the Atlantic Cities blog reports that travelers can use the Peapod smartphone app to scan the product QR codes of items they wish to purchase from digital billboards. Peapod will deliver the groceries.

[Full Disclosure: Technically Media, which publishes Technically Philly, created the strategy for Eyes on the Street]

Peapod already delivers groceries to online customers throughout the Philadelphia area. If the new commuter service is successful at the test SEPTA stations, commuting to work in Philadelphia via public transit will be more convenient than public transit, itself. It will also serve as a litmus test for Peapod, which plans to take the commuter grocery service nationwide.

From the Atlantic Cities story:

“Peapod operates in 24 U.S. cities, so success in Philadelphia could theoretically mean expansion to places like Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C.”