Georgia Couple Opens First Black-Owned Autonomous Grocery Store Ever

Source: Courtesy of Nourish + Bloom / Nourish + Bloom website

Jamie and Jilea Hemmings just opened the first Black-owned autonomous grocery store in the world in Fayetteville, Georgia, Nourish + Bloom Market.

What’s particularly unique is that there are no checkout lines. Instead, shoppers experience the “frictionless” benefits and around-the-clock service of autonomous shopping, vending and robotic delivery within a 3-mile radius of the store.

After downloading the grocery store’s app and uploading their payment information, in-person customers will simply grab what they need, walk out with their items, and later receive their receipt by phone.

The couple was inspired with the idea of opening a grocery store after their eldest son was diagnosed with autism. Jamie and Jilea began experimenting with healthy and plant-based foods in the hopes of improving their child’s performance and later, started selling their products in farmers’ markets, according to ABC News.

It wasn’t long before customers started asking if the couple’s food substitutes were sold in grocery stores.“From there, the rest is history,” Jilea told the outlet. The grocer’s mantra reads: “Real food and real products for real people.”

Nourish + Bloom Market offers locally sourced and crafted groceries alongside everyday household items. Additionally, the store’s variety includes products that are minimally processed and contain no GMOs or high fructose corn syrup.

“The community response has been overwhelming,” Jilea noted. “They are just so proud to see a Black family doing this, and then also to experience the technology, people have been very excited about that.”

As a way to support their community a step further Jamie and Jilea have also partnered with Microsoft “to present STEM programs to Black communities” and have “mentorship and retraining” programs for Black adults, according to local news source Fox 5 Atlanta.

We love to see it. If you’re in the area, check out Nourish + Bloom Market at 300 Trilith Pkwy Suite 250, in Fayetteville, Georgia