Self-serve grocery store chain Aisle 24 expanding across B.C.

Shoppers will soon see more self-serve grocery store locations open across the province.

Ken Oki, the director of Aisle 24 BC, says the chain is planning several new stores in B.C., with the majority in the Greater Vancouver area.

Oki says shoppers use an app to unlock the doors of the store at any time of day to begin shopping.

“Once you hit the unlock button, the door will unlock,” he said.

Shoppers will not be met by cashiers, as the store is fully self-serve.

Oki says theft is not a big concern because the store uses AI and facial recognition systems when someone sets up their profile on the app, which also requires a credit card to be attached.

When shoppers leave the store with their items, their accounts are charged automatically.

Oki says a common misconception within self-serve stores is that it takes jobs away from the community. But this isn’t the case, he says, explaining that the stores just employ people differently.

“We do still employ staff. We still need to have the store stocked, have it cleaned. We still need higher-level management people to run day-to-day operations and help improve marketing, things of that nature,” he said.

“We’re just shifting the workforce to more skilled labour. We’re paying higher salaries and hiring more skilled employees instead of hiring front-line staff.”

With a wide selection of items ranging from candy to drinks to wagyu beef, the store aims to support local, Oki says.

He says that as more stores pop up, they will continue to focus on their neighbourhoods’ demographics when it comes to deciding what products to sell.

“Our plan is to grow as many as possible, 25 over the next three to five years,” he said.

“Our next location is slated for Richmond by the Cascade towers, close to Richmond Hospital.”