West Hyattsville Metro Now Sells Groceries

Ever headed home on the northern end of the Green Line after a long day at work when you realize that you still have grocery shopping to do before you can relax? 

Why not save yourself some time and get your grocery shopping done directly from the Metro station? 

Peapod, a web-centric company which lets users order grocery items online for delivery, is hoping you might do exactly that. The company and Giant Food have recently installed two virtual grocery shelves in the West Hyattsville Metro Station which allow commuters to shop from the train platform. 

The virtual shelves are in reality two billboards depicting various grocery items sitting on pristine shelves. The items range from frozen vegetables to toiletries. Beneath each image is a bar code. Using a PeapodMobile smartphone app in conjunction with a camera equipped smartphone, one could order groceries on their way out of the Metro station with a flick of the finger. 

Peapod has installed the billboards in more than 100 transit stations in major cities in the Northeast and Chicago. 

The billboards, with their limited selection, are really just a clever gimmick designed to get you to download the PeapodMobile app onto your phone, giving you access to Peapod's entire local grocery catalog, noted one passenger who paused to check out the display. 

"I think I might consider shopping on the go like that one day, maybe not right now, though," said another commuter, college student Randy Johnson, as she fiddled with her iPhone on the train platform.

Company officials think that mobile shopping like this is an attractive option for commuters on the way home from work. 

"Our hope is that consumers will take advantage of our virtual stores and mobile app while they’re on the go and enjoy the time saved when they’re at home," said Mike Brennan, chief operating officer of Peapod in a press release issued yesterday.

Indeed, at the West Hyattsville station, the billboards are set up only on the northbound platform, ready to grab Washington commuters as they step off the train for home in the evening.