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Technology & Innovation — February 25, 2012

Future Grocery Stores Are Mobile

A number of grocery companies are testing virtual storefronts which allow shoppers at bus stops and subway platforms to buy groceries with their smartphones. Do you dread the supermarket?

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What’s the Latest Development?

Several grocery stores are testing virtual storefronts which allow anyone waiting at a bus stop or subway platform to shop for groceries with their smartphone. In the US, Philadelphia has been the main testing ground for the grocer Peapod. “While awaiting a train, users can download the Peapod app, peruse the items in front of them, and scan the barcode of anything they’d like to purchase. The groceries are delivered to their homes later that day.” The British grocer Tesco has successfully tested similar methods in South Korea.

What’s the Big Idea?

Tesco chose South Korea in part because it has the second-hardest working society on the planet. So a weekly run to the grocery store can prove a major inconvenience. Cities like Chicago, New York and Washington DC are likely to receive virtual grocery stores next. But is a further disconnect from what we eat a healthy way to welcome the future? Perhaps we should prioritize our lives differently, so that activities essential to our health are given more importance. Or does shopping for locally sourced, organic foods on our phones suffice?

Photo credit: shutterstock.com

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