kosmo

Kozmo.com - 1998 - 2001

What betty said. Also:

"The shining example of a good idea gone bad, online store and delivery service Kozmo.com made it on our list of the top 10 tech we miss. For urbanites, Kozmo.com was cool and convenient. You could order a wide variety of products, from movies to snack food, and get them delivered to your door for free within an hour. It was the perfect antidote to a rainy night, but Kozmo learned too late that its primary attraction of free delivery was also its undoing. After expanding to seven cities, it was clear that it cost too much to deliver a DVD and a pack of gum. Kozmo eventually initiated a $10 minimum charge, but that didn't stop it from closing in March 2001 and laying off 1,100 employees. Though it never had an IPO (one was planned), Kozmo raised about $280 million and even secured a $150 million promotion deal with Starbucks."

Yes, that was it!

And my co-worker is impressed by your speed and knowledge of random facts. ::claps all around::

I recall they did some market reasearch and found that a significant portion of their customer-base was late-night deliveries for those "suffering the munchies."

I always found the following to be interesting: "Already, kozmo sells more pints of Ben & Jerry's than any other vendor in New York City. Red Vines and Milk Duds are also top sellers."

"Like the Internet itself, Kozmo caught on first among young men -- the kind of guys who made 'Playboy' the company's most popular magazine and 'The Matrix' its most popular movie. One customer even asked when Kozmo would begin delivering pot."

[New York Magazine | November 1, 1999]

kozmo existed here in Atlanta, too, but I don't know anyone who ever used it. I know many people, though, including myself, who are STILL in mourning over losing webvan.com.

I use to live around the corner from one of the kozmo dispatch places, 108th & Amsterdam. I thought it was funny that they took 45 minutes or so to get to our door.

Also one of Mr Betty's band mates was a delivery guy for them back in the day.

One of the guys from Kosmo started MaxDelivery.com.

I love it. Last night I had the following items delivered at 11:15pm (order placed around 10:30pm):

6 liters bottle of Evian water
6 20oz bottles of Diet Coke
1 pint of Ben & Jerry's oatmeal cookie ice cream
2 packages of paper plates
1 box of kleenex
1 box of Crispix cereal
2 quarts of soy milk
2 boxes of hot pockets

No delivery if you spend more than $50 (but I tipped the delivery guy $5). It rocks the house.

No delivery if you spend more than $50

Whoops--I meant, "No delivery fee..."

I miss Kosmo.

Of course, I mistreated them so much when they operated in Atlanta. I lived in an apartment at the corner of North Ave and N Highland Ave. There was (and is) a fully-stocked convenience store on the corner, just across North. And yet, I would hit up Kosmo for a pint of Ben & Jerry's ("New York Super Fudge Chunk") and a bottle of Coca-Cola. This was during their "no delivery fee" initial period, so they had to be making next to nothing on such sales.

One time, toward the end of their service, my pint of ice cream was delayed somehow. Took an hour, maybe. Guy showed up, told me that I'd be getting a refund, apologized and handed me a Kosmo t-shirt for my trouble.

I miss Kosmo.

I still see Kozmo messenger bags around town, and it always gives me a twinge of nostalgia for a more optimistic, easier-to-scam-VCs-out-of-their-money time.

1 bottle, Wild Turkey
4 rolls, duck tape (Duck Tape brand preferred)
1 box (2 doz) 12 gauge slug

Late-night for zombo.com

Mullacc, why in god's name would you eat hot pockets? HOT POCKETS? Dude, that's just begging for gastrointestinal distress.

Kosmo bought out the wine store around the corner just before they went under. They were going to add wine delivery.

Hot Pockets are good. Wish I could still eat them.

Do you have a better suggestion for frozen microwavable pastries stuffed with meat and cheese? I'm all ears, baby.