Amazon Targets Foodies

Looks like Amazon is getting into the gourmet food business:

Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today launched its new Gourmet Food store (www.amazon.com/gourmetfood) -- a single destination offering the widest, deepest and tastiest selection of gourmet food online. Amazon.com has teamed with large national merchants, like Dean & DeLuca and Omaha Steaks, as well as smaller merchants like Alaska Smokehouse and Dave's Gourmet, who will offer their selection in the Gourmet Food store. The new store includes tens of thousands of products, from 700 different types of cheese to the hottest sauces in the world to fresh lobster at your door less than 24 hours from when it was in the ocean.

As an introductory offer, shoppers will receive a $10 promotional certificate toward a future Amazon.com purchase with a purchase of $50 or more in the Gourmet Food, Sporting Goods or Apparel stores. For more details, visit www.amazon.com/gourmetfood.

Some of there offerings are definitely out of my price range, but don't think anyone can quibble with their "gourmet" status. And, it certainly looks like they have a wide selection from purveyors ranging from Starbucks and Harry & David to Joseph Schmidt and D'Artagnan.

All sounds good - except for one puzzling thing: How the heck can they have a Top Sellers section, if they only launched this morning?

(Thanks to Ryan for the lowdown on the launch.)