Supermarket Sweep When online grocers started closing shop, a family-owned store grabbed the market.
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Family-owned and operated since 1930, Santoni's SuperMarket is historic--but it's no dinosaur when it comes totechnology. As the dotcom bust claimed online grocers in 2001,Robert Santoni Sr., 61, and Rob Santoni Jr., 40, added onlineorders, letting MyWebGrocer.com handle back-end services. "Wealready had the infrastructure in place with procedures andvehicles delivering phone-in and faxed orders," says SantoniJr. "Adding this was a natural next step."
Santoni's found a customer base beyond its immediateBaltimore area, says Santoni Jr. The number of web orders increased50 percent each year for the first three years, and each order nowaverages about $100. The store's internet orders compose 1percent of total sales, which are projected to top $16 million thisyear. Other local grocers eventually added online orders, butSantoni's volume never waned. Says Santoni Jr., "We'rea single store; we can react at a moment's notice."
