How Supermarkets Boost What We Buy

Looking at a century of supermarket history, we would see how, using carts, bar codes, and self checkout they tried to boost what we buy.

From Grocery Carts to Robot Armies

Looking at grocery store history, we can identify two huge innovations and ask if robot pickers are a third milestone.

The Unexpected Impact of the First Bar Code

A 10-pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum was the first item ever to have a barcode checkout. The year was 1974 and the place, a Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio. While for decades, people had been trying to figure out…