Urbanfetch
Encyclopedia
Urbanfetch was an Internet
company founded in 1999 which enabled customers to order products (DVDs, music, books, snacks, gifts, etc.) online and have them delivered by bike messenger in less than an hour within certain delivery areas covering most of Manhattan
and London
. The company's business plan was essentially identical to that of Kozmo.com
, which led to a lawsuit from them. Apparently, the founder of Urbanfetch, Ross Stevens, had been approached to fund Kozmo, but instead launched a competing business with an identical business model. The suit was settled in December 1999.
Urbanfetch, like Kozmo, charged no delivery fee and sometimes offered significant discounts (initially becoming well known by selling the then-hard to find Sega Dreamcast
at half price.) Urbanfetch also gave away free t-shirts and hats with each order when it first launched and provided free warm cookies with each order. Urbanfetch ceased operations in 2000, but its corporate delivery division was sold to Urban Express, a traditional courier service.
Urbanfetch became somewhat of a joke after an episode of The Daily Show
parodied their business model to the Post Office.
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
company founded in 1999 which enabled customers to order products (DVDs, music, books, snacks, gifts, etc.) online and have them delivered by bike messenger in less than an hour within certain delivery areas covering most of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The company's business plan was essentially identical to that of Kozmo.com
Kozmo.com
Kozmo.com was a venture-capital-driven online company that promised free one-hour delivery of "videos, games, dvds, music, mags, books, food, basics & more" and Starbucks coffee in several major cities in the United States. It was founded by young investment bankers Joseph Park, Yong Kang and...
, which led to a lawsuit from them. Apparently, the founder of Urbanfetch, Ross Stevens, had been approached to fund Kozmo, but instead launched a competing business with an identical business model. The suit was settled in December 1999.
Urbanfetch, like Kozmo, charged no delivery fee and sometimes offered significant discounts (initially becoming well known by selling the then-hard to find Sega Dreamcast
Sega Dreamcast
The is a 128-bit video game console which was released by Sega in late 1998 in Japan and from September 1999 in other territories. It was the first entry in the sixth generation of video game consoles, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, Microsoft's Xbox and the Nintendo GameCube.Dreamcast sales were...
at half price.) Urbanfetch also gave away free t-shirts and hats with each order when it first launched and provided free warm cookies with each order. Urbanfetch ceased operations in 2000, but its corporate delivery division was sold to Urban Express, a traditional courier service.
Urbanfetch became somewhat of a joke after an episode of The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
parodied their business model to the Post Office.