The 1st Black-owned automated market is now open

A new business in Georgia shows you don’t have to be Amazon to open a checkout-free store.

Nourish + Bloom Market, located in Fayetteville, is the 1st Black-owned autonomous grocery store in the world.

It offers locally sourced groceries, prepared meals, and convenience items.

Nourish + Bloom is owned by husband-and-wife duo Jamie and Jilea Hemmings

In 2009, while living in Florida, they founded Greenie Tots, a food company that served healthier, plant-based versions of popular kids’ meals.

They began researching how diet affects children with autism after their son was diagnosed at age 2.

Despite high demand, Greenie Tots shut down after they were ghosted by an investor, per the Sun Sentinel.

The Hemmings moved to the Atlanta area 2 years ago, where they decided to open a market.

While Nourish + Bloom Market is staffed with humans…

… shopping can be contact-free. Customers download an app, then scan a code to start their cart, per TechCrunch.

Cameras and weighted shelves track which items they buy. Upon leaving, the app charges their payment method.

And the store delivers, via 2 delivery robots that take orders to customers within 3 miles.

Automated stores are popping up everywhere

Nourish + Bloom is currently raising funds to open additional markets in Atlanta, Florida, and Texas, but you’re apt to see similar concepts all over.

• Amazon Go now lists 24 stores in the US
• Grabandgo has installed its tech in select ampm, Amoco, Giant Eagle, and Circle K stores.
• Trigo has been adding its tech to stores across Europe and is eyeing the US market

Btw: Uh, these delivery robots are kinda cute, right?