Sem funcionários e sem caixas: Suécia testa 'supermercados do futuro':buff bet

Legenda do vídeo, Sem funcionários e sem caixas: Suécia testa 'supermercados do futuro'

The story…

The future of shopping

consumerism

Need-to-know language…

charged – requested an amount of money to be paid

stock shelves – put items on display

unmanned – without people

mainstream – things or ideas regarded as normal

digitalisation – putting things into digital format for computers

Answer this…

How many adults in Hummelsta have tried automated shopping? Watch the video online: https://bbc.in/3uoXzdM

Transcript

It’s cold, it’s gloomy, and if you run out of milk, it’s a fifteen-minute drive to the supermarket. But this wooden container offers a lifeline. You use an app to open the doors. Your phone scans whatever you need. And the bill’s charged to your bank card.

Critics argue it’s a less sociable shopping experience. But during the pandemic, that’s a bonus.

A manager stocks the shelves here once a week, but with no other staff to pay, it’s saved the firm’s founders a lot of money.

DANIEL LUNDH - Cofounder, Lifvs

We’ve definitely seen a great interest from other countries as we’ve been expanding our own chain here in Sweden. Interest from England, Spain, Portugal, Germany. So, we’ll definitely expand outside Sweden in the near future.

Cities are the next target for the business - and they’re not alone. Amazon’s testing unmanned stores in the US and here in Sweden’s tech-savvy capital, a major supermarket chain is also trialling the concept.

Many of the entrepreneurs here think unmanned stores will soon be mainstream.

Cecilia Johansson – Entrepreneur

The challenge is, of course, the older generation that have a habit of going to store and meet the person, but I also think that we have seen quick, rapid growth of digitalisation due to the COVID situation. So we are changing the behaviour of the consumers.

But so far, there are no plans to take staff away from Sweden’s biggest supermarkets, where retail bosses say customers want advice and inspiration, not just something to snack on. Back in Hummelsta, nine out of ten adults have already tried the unmanned store, and anyone struggling with technology is offered help – so it’s easy to pick up that carton of milk or perhaps something to sweeten the taste of Sweden’s dark, bitter winter.

Answer this…

How many adults in Hummelsta have tried automated shopping?

Nine out of ten adults in Hummelsta have already tried the unmanned store.