[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/04\/29\/food-retail-covid-19\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/04\/29\/food-retail-covid-19\/","headline":"Cashierless stores and pop-up shops: Food retail responds to COVID-19","name":"Cashierless stores and pop-up shops: Food retail responds to COVID-19","description":"COVID-19 is impacting food retail. Innovative solutions are offering a glimpse of future food shopping behaviors, from cashierless stores to pop-up shops.","datePublished":"2020-04-29","dateModified":"2023-01-26","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/ratul-shah\/#Person","name":"Ratul Shah","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/ratul-shah\/","identifier":305,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/18781ab115e32031df4d1cbc3baffb8fb9bc77288c20e05eb447f4e9739062f4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/18781ab115e32031df4d1cbc3baffb8fb9bc77288c20e05eb447f4e9739062f4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/food-retail-COVID-19.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/food-retail-COVID-19.jpg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/04\/29\/food-retail-covid-19\/","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LvkQ-YQvKtQ#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LvkQ-YQvKtQ","name":"avec box and avec X | avec","description":"avec box and avec X are Switzerland\u2019s most modern convenience stores. Come in, do your shopping and pay via app. But as digital as these formats may be, they wouldn't work without people.","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/LvkQ-YQvKtQ\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/LvkQ-YQvKtQ\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/LvkQ-YQvKtQ\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/LvkQ-YQvKtQ\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/LvkQ-YQvKtQ\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2019-05-13T13:28:46+00:00","duration":"PT2M26S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LvkQ-YQvKtQ","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC-riMgC8EipVnPd7TWueafw#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC-riMgC8EipVnPd7TWueafw","name":"Valora Group","description":"Tagt\u00e4glich engagieren sich rund 15\u2018000 Mitarbeitende im Netzwerk von Valora, um den Menschen unterwegs mit einem umfassenden Foodvenience-Angebot das kleine Gl\u00fcck zu bringen \u2013 nah, schnell, praktisch und frisch. Die rund 2\u2018700 kleinfl\u00e4chigen Verkaufsstellen von Valora befinden sich an Hochfrequenzlagen in der Schweiz, Deutschland, \u00d6sterreich, Luxemburg und den Niederlanden. Zum Unternehmen geh\u00f6ren unter anderem k kiosk, Brezelk\u00f6nig, BackWerk, Ditsch, Press & Books, avec, Caff\u00e8 Spettacolo, Frittenwerk und die beliebte Eigenmarke ok.\u2013 sowie ein stetig wachsendes Angebot an digitalen Services. Ebenso betreibt Valora eine der weltweit f\u00fchrenden Produktionen von Laugengeb\u00e4ck und profitiert im Bereich Backwaren von einer stark integrierten Wertsch\u00f6pfungskette. Die Valora Gruppe mit Firmensitz in Muttenz in der Schweiz ist die europ\u00e4ische Retaileinheit von Fomento Econ\u00f3mico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. (FEMSA). \r\n","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/SkgswcMHJWROgzGdxHU_5rNbG1yKz-peNE97wzeH4W-0DFXl8asRgCFVE6T83yeh7XvipSJIsUU=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LvkQ-YQvKtQ#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LvkQ-YQvKtQ#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LvkQ-YQvKtQ&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LvkQ-YQvKtQ#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":4937}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LvkQ-YQvKtQ#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":16}]},"about":["COVID-19 and Business","Retail Trends, Data, News"],"wordCount":990,"keywords":["Food and Beverage Industry","Food Retail","Grocery Retail"],"articleBody":"As we’ve learned, especially of late, the future is unpredictable. We look to the past, hoping to identify patterns explaining our current situation and the potential changes coming our way.In terms of the coronavirus, we have to go back a long way to find worthwhile comparisons. Of course, we look at the flu pandemic of 1918-1919. The Great Depression, World War II, and September 11 are also common events to analyze. They were dire situations, global in scope, each leading to radical changes in how we live today.The Great Depression led to massive change for the banking industry. World War II revolutionized American industrial production. And the events of September 11, 2001 reshaped travel, security, and even privacy.So how will future generations view this crisis through the lens of history? What facets of everyday life will they point to and say: \u201cWe do this because of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020\u201d?As a product marketer, I think about consumer behaviors. As a guy with a healthy appetite, I think about food.So naturally, I keep a watchful eye over the food retail industry. We’re already seeing an altered trajectory of our consumer behaviors, especially when it comes to food shopping.218% surge in delivery: How COVID-19 is changing food retailOne of the clearest indicators of the changed trajectory is the surge in online food shopping.Comparing the average daily app downloads from February to March 15, TechCrunch found that Instacart, Walmart Grocery, and Shipt saw surges of by 218%, 160%, and 124%, respectively.This makes complete sense during this shelter-in-place phase of the pandemic, but also has major implications for the future of food retail. If the grocers\u2019 online service proves to be safe, easy, and personalized, it may accelerate the ongoing shift toward digital for this industry.Of course, in-store food shopping is going to return. The big question is: How will consumer behaviors change? Most likely, the actions taken by stores during the pandemic will greatly affect consumer choices later on.For instance, the pandemic has shown the value of clean, safe shopping spaces.And like a chain reaction, this value will affect consumer views. From now on, many shoppers \u2013 including myself \u2013 will prioritize stores that have taken the necessary precautions to keep consumers and employees safe while providing their essential services.Bare shelves – but why?There\u2019s also the demand\/supply issue to consider. Many of us dashed to grocery stores for staples and an extra supplies of chips and ice cream. (Okay, maybe that was just me, but tons of people flooded grocery stores, which led to empty shelves). This situation was not a result of lack of food, but more the spike in demand that pinched stores\u2019 supply chains.Yet some stores are managing this surge better than others. Here again, consumer sentiment comes into play. Brands who have best mitigated the disruptions and kept their shelves better stocked than their competitors will earn more loyal customers as a result.Lastly, there\u2019s the issue of communication. The pandemic has highlighted the role of the grocery store as an essential service. These stores, and the heroes who work in them, have shifted their operations to address the rapid spike in demand and to comply with new government guidance.They’re shifting hours to help senior citizens shop with lower traffic. They\u2019ve put tape on the floor to help us maintain six feet of separation at checkout. The order-online-and-pick-up-curbside service is seeing its popularity skyrocket. And delivery services are evolving with contactless delivery now in widespread use.For many stores, it\u2019s a monumental marketing lift to communicate all these new ways to help. From simple messages such as, \u201cHey, our hours are changing\u201d, to the announcement of a new curbside pickup service, the stores who can segment their audience effectively and send them relevant, timely updates are the ones who are helping the most.So, what does the future of food retail look like?Some might argue that COVID-19 only hastened the arrival of the future of food retail; that the changes were already happening before this life-changing event.A cashierless store concept has already been in play, with the improvement of the customer experience at the heart of it. Consider the below avec box concept – the store contains a variety of fresh foods, everyday items, and important household products.This content is hosted by a third party ( www.youtube.com ).To view the content, either update your cookie preferences or view it in a new browser window.Cookie PreferencesNew WindowThis new way to shop is really simple:Download an appRegister your personal detailsWalk to a shopFind the things you wantPay via the appLeave with your items.One key advantage of this futuristic food retail business model: These stores\u2019 streamlined implementation means they can be built rapidly to serve customers in areas of greatest need.Think about the possibilities for future pandemic or emergency responses. With some simple updates, these pop-up stores could allow you to schedule a time to enter – this would help with social distancing.The ability to adapt the supply chain optimizes just-in-time manufacturing efficiencies along with route logistics of essential items to stores. And by knowing your customers\u2019 shopping preferences, you can predict inventory to the meet the types of fluctuating demands we’ve seen during this crisis.Even beyond a crisis, these new types of stores just might alter how we shop for food. Instead of big grocery stores that serve a broad audience, new stores could be available locally with hyper-personalized inventory. It\u2019s like a corner convenience store just for you.So, don\u2019t be surprised if future generations look at these pop-up, cashier-less food markets as part of their regular shopping routines that offer exactly what they want, exactly when they need it.  Your customers are managing 85% of their relationships online. Omnichannel CX can provide everything they want \u2013 and more.Get started HERE."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2020","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"04","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/04\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"29","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/04\/\/29\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Cashierless stores and pop-up shops: Food retail responds to COVID-19","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/04\/29\/food-retail-covid-19\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]