Big, bigger, Amazon

Two years ago, Amazon debuted its plan for brick-and-mortar shopping without cashiers in its 167m² Amazon Go store in Seattle. The cashierless system is now in use at seven Amazon Go stores in Seattle, Chicago and San Francisco — each is typically less than 230m² and a system tracks what customers pick from shelves and charges them automatically when they leave the store.

Now the global powerhouse is said to be testing cashierless technology for bigger stores. Naturally, on everyone’s mind is the possible use of this technology at Whole Foods stores and what the impact on jobs will be.

If you need a reminder, Amazon acquired high-end US grocer Whole Foods for roughly $13.5bn in 2017, giving it about 470 grocery stores.

Amazon’s official line is that it has no plans to add the technology to Whole Foods. If it does, though, it would require significant work.

Whole Foods stores are large (typically 3,700m²) and carry over 30,000 items.

Also, Whole Foods sales are driven by produce items like fruit and vegetables, whose prices vary by weight — meaning that tracking them would be more complex.

Since the buyout, Amazon has slowly added its touch to Whole Foods, putting lockers inside all the chain’s stores for order pickup, and offering one-hour delivery and lower prices for Amazon Prime members. Seeing as we’re on the topic of Whole Foods, the grocer has just released its list of what 2019’s top food trends will be. Whole Foods is by no means your average supermarket.

As I’ve said previously, it is regarded as the culinary authority because of the array of bougie (pronounced boo’-she) products it sells, such as morel mushrooms, known as the Cadillac of mushrooms, which go for $249.99-$421.99 per 500g.

Whole Foods also sells emu eggs and camel milk.

So, for its list, Whole Foods draws its global buyers and experts — ranging from a senior R&D culinologist (a real job title, I kid you not) to a master sommelier and global beverage buyer — who source items and lead trends across the retailer’s stores.

In no particular order (drum roll), I present to you, dear reader, some of what you might be eating (and drinking) next year:

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Faux meat snacks

While plant-based foods aren’t exactly a new trend, the Whole Foods experts reckon that more people, even those who don’t eat only vegan or vegetarian, are exploring plant-based snacking. Think of veggie biltong and faux bacon.

Pacific Rim flavours

Flavour inspiration from the Pacific Rim (Asia, Oceania and the western coasts of North and South America) are popping up in grocery stores and restaurants. That includes ingredients like longganisa (a Filipino pork sausage), dried shrimp, cuttlefish and jackfruit.

Trailblazing frozen treats

Vanilla has apparently had its day and ice cream and frozen desserts are likely to feature savoury notes like artisanal cheeses, avocado and hummus.