No tills? No problem, as Amazon opens 'contactless' UK grocery store

Amazon on Thursday launched its first "just walk out shopping" outlet outside the United States, as the online retail giant steps up its competition with traditional supermarkets and other retailers.

Customers at Amazon Fresh in Ealing Broadway shopping centre in west London queued outside the black and green storefront under social distancing measures to be first to use the convenience store which has no checkouts.

The outlet, according to Amazon, is the "first convenience grocery store to offer just walk out shopping in the UK" and its "first physical shop and grocery store outside of the US".

To use the new outlet, customers have to download an app and then scan a QR code before an electronic gate swings open and allows them to browse a range of Amazon-brand products.

On its opening day, a team of assistants, dressed in vibrant green jackets -- the same colour as the grocery shop's colourful branding -- were on hand to explain how the system worked.

Once they have bagged their items, customers don't have to show a card or let anyone know, they simply walk out.

"It was really strange, it felt like I was a criminal, because I was just taking things and putting them straight in my bag," 71-year-old Ealing resident Philippa Dolphin told AFP.

-'You just walk right out'-

"But apparently there are cameras watching me. And then you just walk out! It didn’t seem right but I was assured it was okay!" she added.

Amazon has said the store, which is similar to 20 Amazon Go outlets in the United States, uses "deep learning" algorithms -- technology which allows machines to learn by themselves -- with cameras and sensors to tell what customers have picked up.

"It automatically knows what you’ve got in your basket and when you leave the shop it charges you and bills you automatically into the account you have set up," said Erica Ely, a 57-year-old local resident, holding her purchases on the street outside the shop.

Benjamin Rogers, 31, a sales manager who lives in the area, stopped in to buy ingredients for a cake and said the speed of shopping at the Amazon store made it appealing. 

"I think the major advantage is the fact that sometimes when you go to the supermarket you can do your shopping and then it can be a five-, 10-, 15-minute wait to pay for your goods at the end" he said.

"This is just a simple way to cut through and walk out and finish your job."

Matt Birch, a former Sainsbury's executive who now leads Amazon Fresh Stores UK, said the brand which is also used for online groceries in the UK has looked to make the experience "as convenient as possible".

-'Reversing the trend'-

"We recognise that UK customers want to shop in a convenient way so we really think they will appreciate being able to walk in and walk out with the shopping they need," he added.

Amazon, which was already growing in Britain before the pandemic and competing with a struggling retail sector, has seen its position strengthen since the outbreak and months of closure for shops deemed non-essential.

Shopper Mark Lloyd said it was "interesting" that Amazon was moving from online into "bricks and mortar retail business". 

"It is kind of reversing the trend for e-commerce and digital shelves, so it is quite unusual in that respect," the 58-year-old creative director said.

Despite the ease of her shopping experience, Dolphin said she was somewhat troubled what about the arrival of the Amazon shop would mean in the long term.

"I am a bit worried that it is going to put other businesses that I use out of business. So yes, I am a little bit concerned because they are such a giant," she said.

Agence France-Presse

Shakey's PH now offering frozen mojos in supermarkets

MANILA -- You may want to add Shakey's frozen mojos to your cart in your next grocery run.

This as Shakey's Philippines announced Monday that its best-selling potatoes are now available in ready-to-cook packs at select Robinsons Supermarkets at P375 each. 

In a Facebook post, the restaurant chain also suggested a "mojos hack" that involves rinsing the potato slices before coating with your preferred breading mix and frying.

The frozen mojo packs only include sliced potatoes, but Shakey's Philippines suggested a homemade breading mix recipe that includes garlic powder, all-purpose flour, black pepper, salt, paprika, and thyme.

"Want it crisp and tasty? Follow these 3 easy steps!" it said.


Shakey's Philippines made the announcement more than a month after its Japan counterpart released a recipe for mojos which involved microwaving the spuds first before frying.

news.abs-cbn.com

Fil-Canadian's project makes use of wasted food

NEW WESTMINSTER B.C. - Danison Buan drops by his local supermarket three times a week to pick up unsold food that the store would otherwise throw away.

After working in a restaurant for years, Buan knows a lot of good food goes to waste. So he rescues "them" to feed those in need thru a project called "Re-Food".

"We are reducing food wastage, and we are feeding people in need and we educate the youth," Buan said.

From produce that are unappealing but still perfectly edible, to meat and dairy products that are near dated, Buan takes them away and re-purposes them thru charities that get smoothies and fresh food to cook with.

He also saves the supermarket some costs in compost fees.

For the past seven months, Buan has worked with different charities and has begun working with schools to educate the youth about food waste.

"It's a sense of enjoyment as well because you get to see all the people that you helped, all the people that were not having nutritious meals. Now, they have nutritious meals," he said.

In January, Buan will launch a 50-50 campaign fundraiser to raise $50,000 for 50,000 meals and to raise more awareness.

Read more on Balitang America.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

How I Got $435 Cash Back Last Year Just for Buying my Regular Groceries

2012 concluded my first full year using the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express as my primary card of choice for groceries (by far, the biggest expense category I charge by credit card).

So I wanted to share the results on whether my quest for 6% cash back on groceries paid off (or didn’t).

Prior to using this card, I was using the TrueEarnings® Card from Costco & American Express. Nice card, but it only offers 1% cash back on supermarket purchases.

Realizing that around 60% of my typical credit card purchases were at supermarkets, I went on the hunt for a card that could offer more cash back in that category. What’s sweeter for a frugal rewards card hacker than extra cash back on common grocery purchases that you were going to make anyways? (a man’s gotta eat!)

At the conclusion of my search, two cards jumped out as being far superior to any others on the market in this category (and they just so happen to be closely related):

1. The aforementioned Blue Cash Preferred.
2. The Blue Cash Preferred’s sister card, Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express.

Amex Blue Preferred vs. Everyday Benefits

What’s the difference between the two cards? (highlighted in bold below)

Blue Preferred offers:

• The first $6,000 of purchases at U.S. stand-alone supermarkets in a calendar year qualifies for 6% cash back; 1% thereafter
• 3% cash back on gasoline at U.S. stand-alone gas stations and select major department stores
• 1% cash back on other purchases
  
• Earn $150 reward dollars after you make $1,000 in purchases in the first three months of card-membership
• $75 annual fee

Blue Everyday offers:

• The first $6,000 of purchases at U.S. stand-alone supermarkets in a calendar year qualifies for 3% cash back; 1% thereafter
• 2% cash back on gasoline at U.S. stand-alone gas stations and select major department stores
• 1% cash back on other purchases
• Earn $100 reward dollars after you make $1,000 in purchases in the first three months of card-membership
• No annual fee

The 1% difference on gas stations and department stores was not a big differentiator, nor was the $150 vs. $100 sign-on bonus. The 6% vs. 3% on supermarkets was. As was the $75 annual fee.

I have never paid for a credit card with an annual fee and always held a negative view towards those with an annual fee (who likes certain credit card fees?). However, after crunching the numbers, I determined the Blue Preferred would deliver a better overall return, even with the $75 annual fee. Would these #’s play out in reality?

Blue Preferred Cash Back After 1-Year

Crunching numbers is one thing. But how would the cards play out in real life?

Here’s a screenshot of my rewards earnings over the year:





You can see my earnings had a huge jump from Jan to Feb., as I received my $150 reward bonus (and redeemed it as a statement credit). Then, they steadily increased between $35-$45 per month each month, as I purchased groceries each week.

For more granularity, I live in a 2-person home (my wife and I) and we buy our groceries at Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Meijer (includes all toiletries, over-the-counter medicine, pet supplies), Kroger (for a rare unscheduled run), and Costco. We also eat at home 99% of the time. Dining out expenses probably average $25/month.

My total “groceries” (supermarket) category expenses in my year end review, according to AmEx, was $6,446.87. How common is this? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American spent $3,624 on groceries over the course of a year. A couple would average approximately twice that, or $7,248.

This means that I just passed the $6,000, 6% cap and received the full $360 cash back for the “stand-alone supermarket” category (and 1%, or $4.46 on the remaining $446.87 in spend for that category).

Note that each retailer you purchase from has a classification code that determines what category it falls in to. What retailer purchases fell in to Amex’s “groceries” category for me? Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Meijer, and Kroger.

The lone exception was Costco, which fell in to the “wholesale stores” category, and I only received 1% cash back on (btw, yes, you can use this card at Costco and are not limited to only using the Costco AmEx, which also delivers 1% cash back on Costco purchases).

Blue Preferred vs. Everyday Results

What happens when comparing the two cards (and a typical no-annual-fee 1% cash back card like Discover It) when looking at the first $6,000 in grocery expenses?

Blue Preferred:

• year 1: $360 cash back + $150 bonus – $75 annual fee = $435
• subsequent years: $360 cash back – $75 annual fee = $285

If you have similar grocery expenses or more

Blue Everyday:

• year 1: $180 cash back + $100 bonus = $280
• subsequent years: $180 cash back = $180

1% Cash Back card:

• year 1: $60 cash back = $60
• subsequent years: $60 cash back = $60

This calculation doesn’t include the additional 3% cash back benefits in the gas and department store categories that you get with Blue Preferred, which make the card even more beneficial.
If you haven’t already, you may want to re-think that anti-annual fee sentiment!

Final Thoughts:

The Blue Cash Preferred Card comfortably surpasses the Blue Cash Everyday card and 1% cards on supermarket purchases in net cash back for most users, despite the $75 annual fee. For me, it brought an additional $375 cash back in year 1 and will bring $225 each subsequent year. Just for buying the groceries I was already buying! Your mileage may vary, of course, depending on where you shop and how much you spend annually.

If you have a large family, it might actually pay off to use both, hitting the Blue Preferred 6% cap, then moving on to the Blue Everyday.

As always, pay off your monthly statements in full and don’t use your card just for rewards benefits, that’s just silly.

source: 20somethingfinance.com

French woman trapped in supermarket for New Year

LILLE, France – While others were celebrating the start of 2013, an elderly French woman spent New Year's Eve trapped in a supermarket after being locked inside, officials said.

The 73-year-old was stuck inside the supermarket in the northern city of Roubaix after emerging from the toilet to find the shop closed and the doors locked, local firefighters said.

She set off the alarms several times throughout the night but there was no answer. She was only discovered the morning of New Year's Day around 10:30 a.m.

Despite her ordeal, the woman did not take advantage of the situation to snatch some New Year's treats and spent the night without eating or sleeping.

source: abs-cbnnews.com