How often, when waiting for your subway train, do you think about grocery shopping? No? Apparently, some folks in South Korea are a step ahead. One station has opened up a virtual grocery store, allowing consumers to shop for food and have their purchased delivered directly to their homes later that day. Would you order your groceries from a subway station?
Clearly this concept is based on clean, well running subway stations, which are mystical to those of us who live in New York City. The idea of saving time by grocery shopping during one's commute sounds great. However, who would want to be mid-order when their train pulls up?
European grocery store chain Tesco just opened the first virtual store in a subway station in South Korea. Consumers browse photos of items, set up to mimic supermarket shelves. They scan each product's QR code and
"check out" via their cell phone. Pretty cool.
Do you save time by grocery shopping online or would you rather just head to the store the old fashioned way?
• Read more: Buy Groceries at a Virtual Supermarket Inside a Subway Station at Gizmodo
Related: Ordering Groceries Online: Yay or Nay?
(Image: Gizmodo)
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This reminds me of the Michael Pollan quote: "Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does." From the picture, it doesn't look like anything they're selling is really "food," just processed foodoid junk.
but at least you could pick up a gallon of milk!
I love online grocery ordering. Saves the hassle of going to the store and walking around AND it cuts down in impulse buys! I can purchase groceries for the week for my husband and I with £30-40 if I order online. If we actually go to Tesco, we come away spending at least £60.
I totally would do this! That's when I think about "what's for dinner" is on my ride home from work. I could scan all the ingredients, and it'll be waiting for me when I get home, saving me a trip...very cool.
Since I joke about starting a movement to make it a law that gas stations and major tram stops must sell onions and other easily forgotten staples, I'm all for it.
Awesome!!
But why not just do it online? Scanning things via smartphone is still a slightly clunky process, and seems like an unnecessary pain.
Seems like an easier thing would have been to just make an app for this - since you need a smart phone to do it anyway. With an app you could do it anywhere, not just in the subway.
I don't know. I like physically holding the object I'm about to buy--especially produce. Plus, I take forever grocery shopping, and I'd like to spend as little time possible in the subway!
LOVE IT!!!! I would totally do that, especially if I could order via my cell phone.
@ellonwy -- too funny! Nothing worse than needing garlic or an onion and only the gas station of 7-11 is close enough for that particular moment.
I think this is totally cool! This could come in real handy especially when you need to wait 15 - 20 min for the next train (happens a lot in the Bay Area's BART system). After work is when I think about grocery shopping and what to make for dinner anyway. This could really help.
I often wonder why subway stations in the States don't have more convenient stores inside like those in Asia. This is a great revenue booster by leasing spaces out and will be extremely convenient for everyday commuters.
This is fantastic! I wish my city in Korea had this (Ulsan) sadly, we have no subway. Living in Korea I know how great this would be, to get to a supermarket it takes me about 2 hours round trip (if the traffic is bad) I have started online shopping, and doing it while waiting for the subway, or bus, brilliant!