Is this what the future of supermarkets looks like? (China)

I believe Amazon is headed in this direction.

1 Like

Facial recognition…
to buy food.
Hmmm.

Some it looks pretty cool to me, like least the “in store” aspects of produce not sitting on shelves for long before being “side-cycled” to prepared food areas and the informational screens (if they are really informational, which I think is more likely in that context than in an Amazon-run setting). But I’ll believe Amazon is heading in those particular directions when I see it (and I won’t be holding my breath waiting for it). Video “infomercials”, facial recognition, and quick delivery times (very possibly “picked” by mechanical pickers) are I think much more likely, and of no interest to me at all, except possibly as an investor (which I’m not, at the moment)…

But it’s really not surprising that China has the lead there, much as countries that didn’t have heavily-built-up cable TV infrastructures took the lead with Internet connectivity. It’s a lot easier to “innovate” when you’re installing new tech than it is to retrofit old tech, or try to squeeze your way into a market dominated by big players with deep pockets and political clout, and a lot to lose if their established infrastructure becomes “obsolete” over a relatively short period of time…

2 Likes

Frankly, what concerns me are the unspecified corners cut to even implement this type of food handling and consumer experience. Hardware is one thing, consummables should be handled with health and safety #1 priority and enough tainted food reports have made headlines for me to wonder what the future in grocery truly is vs. health and handling.

3 Likes

This disturbs me too.
You can’t stay inconnu in this age anymore. Every action leaves traces and you are being watched. Hmmm.

3 Likes

This blows away my experience in having Wegman’s deliver to my house about 5 miles away. I ordered early in the morning. For the next four hours I got annoying text updates about my order. Then I got a call from my “picker” that several of the items on my list were not available and she was substituting madly. I asked her not to substitute and just bring whatever items were available. Another three hours later my food arrived. Out of the fifteen items that were available and were delivered, three of them were just completely wrong. Never again.

1 Like