Originally published in Entrepreneur Magazine

By Doug Straton

Convenience has always played a significant role in the shopping experience, from the early supermarkets to the first 7-Eleven locations (literally dubbed “convenience stores”) to shopping by phone.

Consumers marveled at being able to buy flowers, Veg-O-Matics and even cubic zirconium jewelry from the comfort of their homes thanks to infomercials and home shopping television networks. Although selections were limited and access to a deep variety of goods was constrained, these options were considered wildly convenient at the time.

Enter Alexa. Enter Google Express. Enter Uber Eats.

Now we can shop 24/7 right from our couch — for almost literally anything in the world — and even get our purchases delivered to our door in a matter of hours. It doesn’t even matter if it’s 1 a.m. on a Thursday morning. Out of cheese puffs? No, don’t get up. Just press a button and you’ll have them by 1:30 a.m.

Now we can consume whenever we want to, and the digital age has made this possible. But how should retailers be thinking about the new level of convenience? Which ones will take the next step?