Unique store concept a blend between vending machine and supermarket

Retail players are devising store concepts that minimise or even eliminate the checkout step. Photo: AFP

A loaf of bread, a can of soda, a pack of ham or a bag of potato chips – many of us often make a detour on the way home from the office to pick up a few items to round out the ingredients for dinner or just for a quick bite to eat when we’ve completely run out of culinary inspiration.

For these types of impromptu store runs, many of us try to avoid having to thread our way through an enormous supermarket as just a few essential items are on our list and time is of the essence.