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Webvan Group was an online grocery delivery service that operated between mid-1999 and mid-2001, when it ceased operations, shut down its World Wide Web site, and filed bankruptcy. During its short history, Webvan spent roughly $1.2 billion in capital, a fact which earned it the distinction of being one of the most costly failed Internet startups to date. Most analysts agree that the young business attempted to expand too rapidly into other goods without first ensuring its core grocery delivery operations were stable. It was Louis Borders, the founder of the Borders bookstore chain, who established Webvan in 1999....

