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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
(NAPSI)-A uniquely American institution-the supermarket-commemorates 75 years of innovation, choice, convenience and value in 2005.
The supermarket impacts communities nationwide and touches each of our lives nearly every day. It keeps pace with changing lifestyles by staying in tune with consumer preferences and demands. The supermarket industry is responsible for generating many important innovations over the years that continue to enhance the high quality standard of living that Americans enjoy. Here are a few:
Then
1930-Michael Cullen opened America's first supermarket in Long Island, NY, and named it King Kullen. That same year, the first line of retail frozen foods is rolled out in Springfield, MA, with products manufactured under the Birds Eye brand.
1937-Sylvan Goldman invented the shopping cart, forever changing the way we shop.
1946-A&P introduced the "store-within-a-store" concept by adding in-store bakery shops served from central bakeries.
1950s-During this decade, the supermarket emerged as the predominant food retailer. The number of stores more than doubled, from 14,000 in 1950 to 33,000 in 1960.
1974-A cashier scanned the first product containing a Universal Product Code (U.P.C. or "bar" code)-a pack of Wrigley's gum at Marsh Supermarkets in Troy, Ohio.
1990-A handful of supermarket retailers experiment with self-checkout by installing lanes in one or two stores.
1999-The supermarket industry joins other major industries in preparing for Y2K, significantly upgrading operating systems in every store. The upgrades greatly expand opportunities to use new and emerging technologies.
Now
Supermarkets carry an average of 35,000 items. This vast variety is offered at affordable prices and is the primary reason American shoppers spend one-third as much for food as they did 75 years ago.
Supermarket companies are rolling out "smart carts," computers on wheels that can download shopping lists, scan products, help customers locate items, place deli orders and provide nutrition information and recipes.
Supermarkets offer an incredible variety of products and services, including pharmacies, prepared foods, floral services, movie rentals, photo developing, seasonal items and greeting cards.
Food retailing is a $500 billion industry, employing 3 million workers nationwide. The typical supermarket sells nearly 11 million products per year.
The U.P.C. symbol is scanned more than five billion times daily, and over one million companies in more than 100 countries use U.P.C. scanning in over 20 industry sectors.
More than 35 percent of supermarket companies use self-checkout lanes. Technological innovations abound, with supermarkets now exploring biometric payment and security systems, radio frequency identification, electronic shelf tags, interactive computer kiosks and online shopping services.
To learn more about the food retail and wholesale industry, visit the Food Marketing Institute Web site at www.fmi.org. In 1937, Sylvan Goldman changed the shopping experience with the invention of the shopping cart.
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