As grocery e-commerce grows, the real opportunity is not building new infrastructure, but unlocking
the power of the store. The store is already the most effective fulfilment model retailers have. In-store
picking delivers the lowest cost-to-serve by using existing stores, staff and inventory, while supporting
both scheduled and rapid delivery.

Technology is amplifying the power of in-store staff, enabling faster, more accurate and more
consistent picking. In Scandinavia, where store labour can exceed $35 per hour, this should have
been the natural home of large-scale automation. It wasn’t. Instead, investment went into connected
store technologies, turning stores into high-performance fulfilment hubs, and keeping them at the
centre of both fulfilment and last mile.