Robots and smart fridges will be supermarket norms by 2030

Nine in ten Brits believe the average supermarket will be significantly different in the near future, according to a study by ThoughtWorks.

The company surveyed 2,007 people and found that 26% reckon the supermarket checkout will have disappeared by 2030, while 18% said shelves would be stacked by robots.

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A further 13% of people stated there would be no human staff in stores at all by 2030, rising to 21% of students about to enter the world of work.

Many also saw a big future for AI, with 19% of those surveyed predicting their food and drink for the home would be automatically re-ordered by our fridges, cookers and cupboards by 2030.

In terms of physical presence, while 25% said that the size of the average supermarket would likely grow – selling a range of additional items beyond just food – one in five observed that supermarkets would only exist online, or that food would come direct from the food producer.

Kevin Flynn, Director of Retail Strategy at ThoughtWorks, comments: “Supermarkets have enjoyed a boom in activity during the coronavirus lockdown, and consequently many can see them continuing to grow and expand over the next decade.”

“However, as many people have been forced to look further afield for different products, they have new and better ways to meet their demands, and support causes that matter to them. This is a watershed moment for the retail industry which will have long lasting effects.”

He adds: “Covid-19 has accelerated change in the way people use data and technology and the world that businesses operate in after the pandemic will be seismically different to the world they knew before the outbreak.”