Delivering the Goods

Sometimes technology seems to take us back in time while taking us forward. Consider Shoppers Express, a new service that allows people to do their grocery shopping over the Internet and have the goods delivered to their homes.

The company is based in Maryland but has formed a partnership with Pavilions Supermarkets in Orange and Los Angeles counties. The service costs $11.95 per delivery.

Shoppers start at the company’s Web site, at https://www.shoppinglink.com, where they fill out a registration card, select a ZIP Code and designate a time for delivery. Then customers create an online shopping list either by requesting specific items or by browsing through various grocery categories.

Customers can select specific brands and sizes, said company spokeswoman Tamara Shackelton, and prices are listed next to each item. The tab is tallied immediately, and customers can pay by credit card over the Net, or by check when the groceries are delivered. Frequent shoppers can also set up a customer account paid at the end of each month.

Greg Miller covers high technology for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-7830 and at greg.miller@latimes.com