Is Ocean County Ready for Grocery Stores of the Future?
The grocery stores we all know and love (okay, sometimes that's debatable) are changing, and there's no stopping them.
Have you seen all of the ways grocery stores have started to move into the future in the past year? It's all about speed, minimal contact, and efficiency. Look at the newest Farm Store drive-thru in Brick, that my coworker Shawn Michaels told us about. When you shop there, you'll be able to literally grab things like bread, milk, etc. right from your car. Even our beloved Wawa has opened up drive-thru versions of its stores.
Now before drive-thru grocery stores became a thing, we started to see mobile orders become more and more popular (especially with the pandemic). I have to admit, I'm a huge fan of that - there's no need to squeeze around other peoples shopping carts in a crowded grocery store, and sometimes, you don't even need to worry about parking since some stores have designated pickup parking spots (love it!)
And on top of all of this, some states are introducing smart carts where you can load up your cart and check out without even needing to see a cashier! Bring. It. On.
With all of the above developments happening, it seems like we're living in the age of "Grocery Stores of the Future." Are you ready to see more of this in Ocean County? I can understand why people would be hesitant - it's always scary to embrace new things. And some may worry about job losses. But I think that new positions will actually be created to help implement these changes.
I'm all for efficiency, especially when it comes to the supermarket - so I say let's embrace these changes, and welcome more to come in Ocean County!
H/T: Shawn Michaels, 92.7 WOBM