New grocery store concept

[tandkvd]

I noticed this new store down the road from my office the other day. I'll have to check it out.

Posted on Wed, May. 26, 2004

Food Lion goes full 'Bloom'
Grocery chain tries new ideas for shoppers
CHRISTINA REXRODE
Staff Writer

Ever stood in the wine aisle at the grocery store and felt intimidated? You think that bottle of Shiraz looks pretty good, but you're not sure what it goes with.

It's the sort of problem the creators of Food Lion's new store concept thought about, and one they will use technology to solve.

The pilot store, Bloom, A Food Lion Market, opens today at 8 a.m. in north Charlotte, at 6331 W. Sugar Creek Road off W.T. Harris Boulevard. While it features a new layout for shoppers on the go and ready-made meals from Boston Market, Salisbury-based Food Lion is also relying on new computer devices to make the store a success.

Shoppers more and more are encountering computer-driven gadgets in U.S. supermarkets, from self-checkout stations to wireless scanners for checking prices in aisles.

In Bloom, the futuristic devices abound.

A computerized kiosk in the wine section lets you scan a bottle and find information about the vintner and serving suggestions. The kiosk, and a second one in the meat section, lets you print recipes off the screen.

To make for a rapid checkout, you can use a hand-held scanner as you shop, and when you're done the device will automatically tell the cashier or self-checkout machine your total. Random audits will help ensure the machines -- and customers -- are truthful.

[Botafogo]

Thousands of un-employed wine geeks in this country and they have to do this?!?!?!?