The rise of the supermarket – an innovation story

Technology and the on-going evolution of the weekly shop
Supermarkets have become the clear favourites in the shopping game, the norm for the one-stop-shop; everything you need and more under one roof.

But that’s not always been the case. We take a look at how innovation drives the evolution of the supermarket; from humble beginnings to the giants we know today, and what the future might look like.
Butcher, baker, grocer…
Shoppers used to have to visit multiple, specialised stores to get what they needed, with establishments acting independently. Perhaps the first steps towards the supermarket system we know today happened in the 1920s when some grocers began to introduce meat products, and vendors would set up stalls to create an outdoor market where people could get their goods all in one place.
The most pivotal aspect of transition is the shift to self-service. Traditionally, shoppers would give their shopping lists to the clerks, who would gather supplies on their behalf. But the first ‘supermarket’ introduced the radical idea of allowing the public to wander the aisles and pick up items for themselves, so they only needed a few cashiers. 1937 saw the introduction of the shopping trolley, an innovation that let customers carry more and spend more.
Setting up something super

What started out as a phenomenon of independent retailers and small chains soon caught on, and multiple smaller stores soon evolved into one big ‘super’ store. By the 1950s, the supermarket set up was in full swing.
In 1947, supermarkets started exploring technology when the world’s first barcode was scanned in the US. They finally made their way over to the UK in the 70s, much to the delight of supermarket staff, who were used to creating price tags and manually totting up bills.

Convenience and discounts

As a nation, we’ve grown to love the convenience of the supermarket experience, with people tending to frequent their favourite store as each brand has something different to offer. Recently, discount store Aldi has overtaken the Co-op to be the fifth biggest supermarket in the UK, as more middle-class shoppers opt to grab a bargain.

Contactless in common

Although there are differences between the UK’s major supermarkets, they’ve generally introduced similar innovations, from conveyor belts, to self-service checkouts, and now contactless. Sainsbury’s is the latest supermarket to introduce the technology, having begun rolling out contactless into its Local stores from late 2016.

For some, self-service has now replaced ‘basket only’ checkouts, as the UK’s shopping habits have evolved. Whilst the weekly shop seems something of a tradition, recently there’s been a shift to seeing several ‘top-up’ shops throughout the week, for speedier, fuss-free shopping.
In fact, new Barclaycard research<link to press release>has shown that the volume of ‘touch-and-go’ grocery shopping has risen by 114%, and the spend amount by 136% in the last 12 months,, as convenience becomes king.
These changes in habits are reflected by the increasing rate at which tech is being welcomed into shops; online delivery services, and Tesco’s ‘Scan as you Shop’, for example, have been implemented nationwide. But shopping experiences with even less of a checkout process are on the cards for the not-so-distant future.
Skip the checkout with Amazon Go
Using ‘Just Walk Out Technology’, Amazon has created acheckout-free shopping experience, which keeps track of products as you take them from the shelves, and places them in your virtual basket. With getting in and out quickly as a priority, there’s no checkout – just a stroll out of the store to confirm your shop, which will be later charged to your Amazon account.

The human element
No queues, no cash, no cards – and no cashiers. Will the supermarkets of the future have no need for human customer service? Onetech-heavy store in Milanuses clever sensors and displays to give detailed product information at the customer’s request, initiated by holding it up to the screen – augmented reality without an additional interface. Aiming to bring back elements of old-fashioned marketplaces, where buyers and sellers discussed what was on offer face-to-face, this interactivity allows users to find out where the product has come from – telling its story, so to speak.
Ethical tech

As well as increasing the convenience of shopping, we could start seeing effects of supermarkets using tech behind the scenes to cut down on packaging waste. Already in effect on M&S’s coconuts, aSwedish supermarketis trialling a replacement of sticky labels on fruit and veg with laser marking, dubbed ‘natural branding’. Putting a sticky situation into perspective, switching to laser labels on avocados alone for one year, in one supermarket, would save 135 miles of 30cm-wide plastic.

The future’s looking smooth

The fact that over half of all eligible electronic payments are being made with contactless is a clear indicator of consumers’ preference for convenience and speed, as are the movements towards ‘frictionless’ shopping experiences. As supermarkets increasingly look at technological innovation to change the way we shop, perhaps futuristic aisles and trolleys could become the norm sooner than we think.