Down, down, deeper and down.

Web Some of these dotcom flops were really great ideas which weren't thought through very well initially. Kozmo's a great idea, and I think I remember seeing a documentary about the setting up of the company:

"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."

Starbucks delivered straight to your door? As they rightly point out, free delivery is a great concept but there has to be someway of covering the expense -- too many people take the piss and you've got a problem. I wouldn't be too surprised if in a few years a major supermarket like Tesco doesn't introduce a version of this very concept. Then we'll never have to leave the house. [via]