in:Five: Could This Be the Future of Shopping?

Whether you shop weekly, or even daily, it probably looks something like this: you have your routine, a familiar path you take in a large supermarket of your choice, and you mostly buy the same things each time. Sure, once in a while you like to mix it up: new recipe, healthier bread, or maybe just following the sales and see where it leads. I’m fairly certain about 90% looks roughly the same. And since most of what we buy comes packaged already, there’s very little we need to choose on our own.

in:Five is a new kind of supermarket. It looks like the Argos of groceries shopping, with a bit of Amazon locker on top. it’s a small store, with only one person present and a bunch of lockers with screens. Behind the scenes is where the magic happens: there are robots working on your order. How long does it take them to prepare your order? You guessed it – within 5 minutes.

How to Place an Order with in:Five?

As you might expect, in:Five is an app-only service. Their app is a thing of beauty; super quick, user-friendly and straightforward. Everything is laid out clearly, you can easily access all your previous orders, and pay with Apple/Google pay.

Simply add items to your cart, and choose a pick-up slot. There’s a slot every 15 minutes, and if you arrive early you can alert the app that you’re ready to collect. It really couldn’t be easier. The app will generate a locker number and code to open it. You can also open the locker straight from your phone. They also provide paper bags for you at the store, in case you didn’t bring your own.

Products and Prices

in:Five claims to have 1200+ products in its range, and promise to keep adding to those. That may sound like a lot, but it’s nowhere near your standard supermarket. At the moment there’s just no comparison, so it needs to improve dramatically.

So, how are the prices? Take fresh pasta, for example: 250g Ravioli for £4 (normally £5), and 250g Tortellini for £4 (normally £4.50). The Tescos and Co-ops offer a lot more variety and for less. The same is true in every category: beef and poultry, bread, fruit and vegetables etc. However, if you like trying new things there are some brands, like Mr. Organic, that are worth a try.

They’re also running a promotion: in:Five offers 20% off on your first five orders, plus a £5 voucher when you sign up to their newsletter, so that’s a hard deal to say no to.

Verdict

For now, there are really two things to say about in:Five: first, as it stands, it’s not a contender to replace your weekly shop at Sainsbury’s. The product range is too small, and the price is too high.

Second, this is just the beginning. If they manage to bring in more products, and lower their prices, it could be a real game changer. Outside of fresh fruits and vegetables, there’s very little that requires you handpick the items yourself. In fact, a lot of people already delegate that to the supermarkets when they order online.

In:Five appeals to people like me: those who love tech and the convenience it brings with it. I can see myself doing the occasional late night order, or casually picking up Huel if it’s on sale. But they need to do a lot more before people truly start to change their shopping habits.

Promotion: in:Five offers 20% off on your first five orders, plus a £5 voucher when you sign up to their newsletter, so that’s a hard deal to say no to.

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