Food Pyramid, a division of Springfield, Mo.-based retailer RPCS, Inc., is set to debut an online shopping service March 19 in Tulsa. Available at MyPyramidOnline.com, the new service follows the retailer's first foray into e-grocery retailing in southwest Missouri in July 2006, for its Price Cutter Plus stores, and later for the company's Joplin, Mo., customers in April 2007.

"Americans are busier than ever these days. They have less free time on their hands, and MyPyramidOnline.com gives some of that time back to our customers," Erick Taylor, president and CEO of RPCS Inc., said of the program. "It's almost like the good old days, when the milkman delivered fresh products right to your door. We're recapturing that nostalgia, and our customers appreciate the convenience."

"We've received outstanding feedback from customers already utilizing our online shopping services in Missouri, and we've been anxious to offer the same service to residents of Tulsa," said Rob Marsh, director of planning and development. Marsh added that by taking the high-tech service a step further, MyPyramidOnline.com will deliver customers' orders to their homes and businesses, thereby offering "old-time customer service rather than a cold transaction devoid of human contact."

Customers can also place orders for pick-up at six Food Pyramid locations between the hours of 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4 p.m.-8 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays) for a $5 fee. Delivery orders, pulled from the chain's store at 101st and Memorial, will be made to homes and businesses within the city limits of Tulsa between the hours of 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 5 p.m.-7 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays) for a $10 fee.

The grocer initially launched online shopping to target busy professionals, but Marsh said it quickly learned that there is no "typical customer" for an online shopping service. "People from all walks of life are buying groceries online. Day-care businesses and stay-at-home moms are some of our most frequent customers, and we even deliver to the campus of Missouri State University for some of its culinary classes," Marsh said.

Evolving from the first Ramey grocery store in Springfield, Mo. opened in 1919 by John Ramey, the employee-owned RPCS Inc. today operates 43 grocery stores and 29 pharmacies in southwest Missouri under the Ramey, Price Cutter, Price Cutter Plus, and Smitty's banners; in Arkansas as Save-A-Lot; and in Oklahoma as Food Pyramid. The company also operates three Pyramid Express convenience stores in Oklahoma, and now, the first online grocery store in Tulsa and the only online grocery store in southwest Missouri.