I never would have thought of this

[andrewducker]

Tesco invent a new way of shopping, to serve the South Korean market. Very nice bit of thinking there. I hope whoever it was got a raise.

(Via my brother Hugh, who also never updates his journal.)

Comments

[fjm.livejournal.com]

For me the missing app in on line shopping is a "standard basket" ie I could have a basket marked "weekly shop" into which I inserted the basics. I could edit it every week, adding stuff, dropping stuff. But I'd be starting with the basics: bread, eggs, gf bread, etc, not having to think of them each time.

[woodpijn.livejournal.com]

They're pretty close to this. I think it won't be long. Tesco have a new "My Usuals" feature, along with the existing "Favourites".

[channelpenguin.livejournal.com]

I thought they already had it? but I haven't done online groceries for years. I think I have more complicated substition algorithms if what I want isn't in. I pretty much only buy raw ingredients and I don't trust anyone else to pick my veg! (yoghurt, dark chocolate and Steven's museli are the only processed goods I ever buy).

It's half an hour's walk to my local big supermarket - and I enjoy the walk! Also it's a Tesco, and for an overall shop they have been the cheapest for years. I can do a weekly (or possibly more) shop in half an hour in-shop time [or less] and it's one of the 24hr ones (which means it's only shut on Sunday nights - that's the one thing I'd like to see change. Even ope til 10pm would be good.)

[bohemiancoast.livejournal.com]

I have that at Ocado, have done for several years. It's just a saved trolley list.

[woodpijn.livejournal.com]

Quite clever, but potentially a bit of the worst of both worlds - you still have to physically walk round, and don't have a search interface, like in a physical store, but like shopping online you don't get the groceries instantly and they might turn out to be out of stock.

But if people are hanging around the subway with nothing better to do, then it's quite an efficient use of time for them, and a very efficient use of space for the retailer, not needing the space for the physical products and associated overheads.

[a-pawson.livejournal.com]

I can see it working better in a train or bus station where you are often waiting longer than you do in a subway station. The impression I got from the video is that it will be delivered in a short space of time. In a big city I can see that being feasible. Order at 5 and the stuff gets delivered in an hour say.

[andrewducker]

I'd imagine that it encourages people onto their web ordering system, and after the first few times they don't need to scan anything.

It's a good way of first introducing people, I'd have thought.

But yes, I'd rather use the website, myself.

[eatsoylentgreen.livejournal.com]

yes but people like looking at and interacting with big shiny pictures, techies never seem to understand that

[eatsoylentgreen.livejournal.com]

"YOU COULD JUST RUN A PERL SCRIPT ON A TEXT FILE WITH A PUSH PULL UPLOAD AND MAXIMIZE EFFICIENCY blah blah blah"

[andrewducker]

That was pretty much my point - people like seeing stuff.

Clothes sites have now got things like video working well, so you can see the clothes in motion. But that's still never going to be as good as seeing it close up (and trying it on).

[andrewducker]

My mistake, that was the point I was making over here:
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2738241

[strawberryfrog.livejournal.com]

Fecking genius.

it's basically the Argos catalogue, only completely different.

[eatsoylentgreen.livejournal.com]

nothing short of amazing. I wish I lived in civilization!

[ashfae.livejournal.com]

I'm impressed.

Also further proof that I am a technological neophyte despite my claimed geek status because I still don't have a smartphone or any intention of getting one, though I do feel it's just a matter of time before everyone has them.

[andrewducker]

Well, Orange now has them from £80 (on PAYG), so they're reaching the point of ubiquity.

[ashfae.livejournal.com]

That's kind of a lot of money for me still, I'd have to budget for a month or two to do it. *shrug*

[andrewducker]

Absolutely. But that's a big drop, even in the last year.

I'm intrigued now - how much did your last phone cost? And are you on PAYG or contract?

[ashfae.livejournal.com]

About twenty quid, years ago. I have a clamshell that can't access internet, or do music or camera; it's just a phone/texting thing, plus it has Tetris. And PAYG, I only spend about five quid a month on my phone.

[andrewducker]

Yeah - if you're spending that little on the phone then it doesn't make any sense to go for something advanced.

For a start, they'd have to drop the price of bandwidth to make it affordable for you to surf the internets...

[ashfae.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I don't deny it's tempting, especially as you're right, the price is plummeting, which is nifty. Chris and I joke that we'll inevitably get one just to have constant access to 1) maps/a GPS, and 2) a Scrabble dictionary. *gryn* But if I had internet in my pocket, I'd never get ANYTHING done ever!!!! I'm too addicted as it is!

[andrewducker]

Yeah - having access to a map while wandering about is incredibly handy.

And Wikipedia.