Nourish + Bloom Market is the first 24-hour AI-powered, frictionless grocery store in the U.S. Based in Atlanta, the company leverages autonomous technology to provide customers with seamless access to healthy meals and everyday essentials in a contactless, staff-free environment.
This development expands access to frictionless shopping technology for customers who use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Co-Founders of Nourish + Bloom Market and married couple for 20-years, Jamie and Jilea Hemmings, says when people enter the store, they should step into the future of what shopping looks like.
“When you come in our store, there’s no cashiers, no staff. You’re literally able to scan in, grab what you want, and get back to your day,” Jilea said. “It’s showcasing the future of innovation, but it still has a really warm environment; it’s like a neighborhood grocery store.”
The store’s AI-based system allows for real-time inventory tracking, contactless entry, and seamless checkout using a mobile app.
Nourish + Bloom’s technology is designed to operate with minimal staffing while still maintaining a high level of security and service. Nourish + Bloom also deploys autonomous smart fridges in corporate offices, stadiums, and hospitals to expand access to fresh food in high-traffic environments.
Furthermore, The Atlanta Voice went to Nourish + Bloom and spoke to the co-founders about their goals, success, and hopes for the future.
The Atlanta Voice: How did Nourish + Bloom get its start?
Jilea Hemmings (JH): Nourish + Bloom Market came out of a personal need for my family. We had just moved to Atlanta, just found a school for our kids, and found ourselves living in a food desert, also in the middle of the pandemic, and seeing all the challenges around food insecurity for everyone in stores closing and social distancing, and knew that AI could change that and allow people to be able to shop whenever they wanted without having to have the constraints of time or long lines, things that nobody likes to do, waiting in line for anything to be able to get access to the most important thing, which is fun.
AV: How does it feel to be going into your fourth year of the business?
Jamie Hemmings (JHEM): It’s been a journey. Going from just an idea and a concept to building this out, our story is out there into the world. That’s not something that I expected, and for Jilea and me, it was more of building something for the community, wanting to give people access to fresh fruits and vegetables and other healthier items.
AV: When you walk into the store and scan your debit/credit card, there is a $40 hold on your card. What is this for?
JH: The way the store works is that either you can download our app and put your debit card, credit card, Apple Pay, EBT card on file, or you can tap a card or use Apple Pay on our turnstile. There’s no one here, and we obviously don’t know what you’re going to purchase, we put a hold just to cover what you potentially be picking up, and then it gets deducted from whatever you take. So, if you only take something for $10, you’ll get credit back $30. It’s temporary, but because you’re in a closed environment, and once you’re in there, we just must verify payment before you go inside.
AV: Do you have any role models that inspires you as a business owner?
JH: I come from a family of entrepreneurs. My father and grandfather inspire me. They all have worked for themselves for over 20 plus years. Being able to see them against all odds, be able to persevere and push through has been important. Also, Pinky Cole is someone who inspires me as well. Seeing that she was able to create something with an idea that inspires me.
AV: Where do you see Nourish + Bloom in the next five years?
JH: In next five years, we want to see ourselves all over the country. Due to the fact we’re the first in Atlanta and also first in the southern United States, and first black-owned AI store in the world, it’s gotten a lot of notoriety around the country, and people have shared their you know where they live and how they might potentially be living in a food desert, and how this could really benefit them. So, we’re going to be franchising Nourish + Bloom.
AV: Now, what do you want people to take away from your business
JH: We’re in the new workforce of tech revolution, and this is another way that AI is changing how we do things, but also to hopefully spark creativity in others of how do we utilize this new technology to be able to continue to enhance the world and make it a better place. It was our friends, our family, and the community that really came behind us and put their dollars where their mouth was to make this be possible.
AV: What kind of advice do you have for aspiring business owners?
Jamie: Don’t give up. You must keep pushing through because there’s going to be a lot of obstacles in your way. Once you’re able to push through, that’s where you find the true success. Many entrepreneurs talk about the positive side of entrepreneurship, but people don’t really talk about the hard work that goes into it. When you’re an entrepreneur, it’s 24/7. It doesn’t stop and delay. Being partners, being husband and wife, doing this thing is, let me tell you, it’s day-in-day out, but you just got to keep pushing through. If this is something that you want to do, if you have a passion for it, just keep going and don’t let anybody stand in your way.
For more information, visit https://www.nourishandbloommarket.com.