Dark kitchens are workspaces allowing restaurants to meet the demand for food app deliveries such as Deliveroo and Just Eat. These dark kitchens are usually fitted out shipping containers strategically placed, sometimes in car parks, to meet local consumer demand. They are restaurant kitchens without the tables, chairs and waiters just chefs and delivery drivers.
With the surge in online shopping, some retailers are now copying this concept. From the outside the shop looks and feels like the retailer but you cannot walk in and buy anything, they are micro fulfilment centres. These miniature warehouse-like spaces where online orders can be packed for pick up or delivery.
In the US, Amazon.com could be entering a new phase of its e-grocery business as it opens its first dark store dedicated to Whole Foods’s e-grocery fulfilment. The store will not offer customer access, the products on the shelves will be picked, packed and delivered to order.
Given the data being produced from online ordering, retailers can quickly understand what the local community is buying and in what quantity. They can then tailor the stock to meet local demand.
Photo by Марьян Блан | @marjanblan on Unsplash
