World's First "Virtual" Supermarket opens in Korea (Tesco Home Plus)

[Annelle]

The world's first virtual supermarket has opened in Korea.  No more grocery carts, no more waiting in lines.  How would you like to be able to just tap a few buttons on your phone, and have everything show up at your front door just after you get home?  Waiting for the subway and realize you forgot to get milk? Just snap a pic of the QR code and it'll be delivered to your house.  I thought this was a really neat idea, and it'd also tackle the issue of theft in the stores, too.  Each of the items has a QR code beneath the picture (The pictures are there so you can see the product sizes and packaging) I think some of the screens are supposed to be LCD's so they can update what they have available, too.

You get the QR and it goes to your online shopping card, you buy your products and it gets delivered to your home.  If you want to re-purchase something, just go to your past purchases and repurchase that item.  You don't even have to go back to the store, and it will get delivered to your house too.

Shoppers see the items on the shelves as if they were in a grocery store. If they want to purchase them, they simply scan the barcode with their smartphone (after downloading the app) and the item is placed in their online shopping cart. Once they’ve paid, they simply drive home and the items they bought are delivered to them right away. They can even schedule a later delivery if they aren’t going straight home. If you’ve purchased a product in the past and you simply want to order it again, you don’t have to physically visit the virtual store. You can just go into your smartphone app and order it via the product’s barcode. The video below which explains it all is brilliant.

The video explaining the whole thing:

src: http://www.bitrebels.com/technology/the-worlds-first-virtual-supermarket-opens/

 

[geniabeme]

That is soooo cool!!!! 

 

[eclipsechick08]

I can imagine it would be easy to overspend but it's so cool!!

 

[icecreamofwheat]

I saw that vid last year and still think it's a great idea, but I think offering fresh groceries that way is a bit iffy. I guess it doesn't matter if you aren't too picky about your meat or produce, but I wouldn't feel comfortable having someone else pick them out. however for everything else, this is just fantastic. the store's great, but having them at subway stations?! amazing. then again, they sell hot food, books, and clothes at some subway stops too so it's not too unexpected XD

also the ability to order again from the order history on your phone is even more of a timesaver!  

 

[Imperfection]

Wow - I don't really know what else to say, haha. Where I live we can order on the internet, and get everything the next day. I can imagine that is way more manageable. But this is a smart idea as well, real fun!

 

[Playedinloops]

Originally Posted by Imperfection /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Wow - I don't really know what else to say, haha. Where I live we can order on the internet, and get everything the next day. I can imagine that is way more manageable. But this is a smart idea as well, real fun!

Yup, Safeway does that here. Its super easy and it does the order history thing too.