The advent of a new mobile shopping experience in Germany is imminent, as food retailer REWE and railway firm Deutsche Bahn (DB) trial a supermarket-on-wheels that will drive to the doorsteps of rural villages in northern Hesse.
DB turned an articulated bus (also known as a bendy bus) into a grocery shop with 700 items, including a large assortment of regional and organic foods from Hesse. The bus has additional air conditioning and can run for up to eight hours on rechargeable batteries.
Der REWE Einkaufs-Bus will begin service in remote locations without a supermarket in the spring, allowing customers to buy without driving great distances. REWE expects that, in addition to providing convenience, the bus will serve a social purpose by providing a location for locals to run into one another.
