FAYETTEVILLE (Ga.) - grocery shops are advancing with technology.
All of us are familiar with the traditional method of purchasing groceries at a grocery shop where you pay with cashiers. Self-checkout kiosks have been added to the mix. Nourish + Bloom is taking automation one step further at Atlanta.
According to the store's owners, it is the first Black-owned independent grocery store in the world.
Jilea Hemmings, co-founder, stated that "No one likes to wait in line and fumbling for their money."
Jamie, Jilea's husband, opened Nourish + Bloom in January. It offers a high-tech experience to simplify grocery shopping. You can enter the market by scanning a QR code from the Nourish + Bloom App. Once you are in, you can shop online and leave the market without having to stop at a register.
Hemmings explained that technology works by having an item on the shelf with a weight. This allows us to know that it's in our digital cart.
Hemmings states that if you decide to return an item after making a purchase, the store's ceiling-mounted sensors and weighted shelves will track your movements so they can recognize that you have returned it. You won't be charged.
Nourish + Bloom will automatically bill you for items left behind when you leave the store.
Two delivery robots are also available on the market, called Nourish or Bloom.
Robots can deliver food within three miles of the store. This technology is especially useful for those who cannot leave their home to shop.
Bloom was feeling a little under the weather when Fox News visited. However, Nourish was available to help.
"He welcomed us, that was amazing. Rachel Goergen, a shopper, said that the robot was so friendly that she encouraged her to bring her children back.
According to the Consumer Technology Association, the store's technology is not new. Amazon opened similar stores in selected cities as early as 2018. However, the technology could make the grocery industry more competitive as it becomes cheaper.
It's definitely more accessible. Lesley Rohrbaugh is the director of research for the CTA. She stated that more shops are able get these products and begin using them.
"I believe there is a lot growth in this area and I think it will continue to grow in the future."
Nourish + Bloom will be looking at new areas in Atlanta and New York in near future.
