Stop & Shop tests "self-contained grocery stores" for its customers

Stop & Shop brings the product on wheels to a new level: the supermarket chain is testing independent grocery stores that bring fresh produce to your door.

On Wednesday, Stop & Shop announced in a press release that it would introduce self-propelled grocery vehicles into the Boston area in the spring of 2019. The goal of the self-service grocery store is to provide customers with a more convenient food shopping experience and high technology. .

Stop & Shop is working in partnership with Robomart, a San Francisco-based startup, to bring this concept to life. Vehicles will bring selections of Stop & Shop products and meal kits directly to customers' homes, thus avoiding waiting for online orders or shopping.

Here's how it works: Stop & Shop customers in the Boston area can request a Robomart vehicle via a smartphone app. When the Robomart arrives at their home, they can get out, unlock the doors of the vehicle and personally choose the vegetables and other products they want to buy. They can then close the doors and send the Robomart vehicle to its next destination.

Unlike other home delivery services, no payment experience is required. Once a customer has finished selecting his items, the vehicle's RFID technology automatically saves what he's purchased, in the same way that Amazon Go tracks his purchases. In addition, the customer receives a receipt by e-mail after purchasing products.

Robomart vehicles are also prepared at the inventory level: driverless vehicles will be tested remotely from a Robomart installation and will be constantly replenished with new Stop & Shop items on their journeys.

"For decades, consumers have had the chance to go door-to-door at their local grocery store and dairy. We believe that by exploiting driverless technology, we can recreate this level of convenience and accessibility, "said Ali Ahmed, founder and CEO of Robomart. Press release. "We are extremely pleased to realize our vision with Stop & Shop, one of the most innovative and forward thinking grocery chains in the world."

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