Convenience stores will try non-24 hrs. operation

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Jan 26, 2020, 6:53 am

#16

jib71

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Quote:

Originally Posted by lobsterdog

But a lot of the stuff that arrives in convenience stores in the middle of the night is food that needs to be stocked on refrigerated shelves within a reasonable amount of time. That seems more difficult than just cases of cup ramen.

Since Rusty mentioned that he worked graves, I assume the deliveries he saw were perishable, albeit sealed in caskets.

Seriously, though, thanks to @hailstorm for the insight. I wasn't thinking about the supply chain. It strikes me that recent tech. improvements - including location tracking and sensor networks - should allow for some innovation in the way stores are supplied to reduce the need for 24/7 store opening.

Last edited by jib71; Jan 26, 2020 at 6:58 am

Jan 26, 2020, 2:51 pm

#17

rustykettel

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Quote:

Originally Posted by lobsterdog

Ahh, yes. Forgot about the perishables. Cooled space is probably at a premium in a smaller store.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jib71

Since Rusty mentioned that he worked graves, I assume the deliveries he saw were perishable, albeit sealed in caskets.

No idea. It's been several years and didn't pay close to the actual contents.

Jan 26, 2020, 3:37 pm

#18

hailstorm

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Quote:

Originally Posted by jib71

Seriously, though, thanks to @hailstorm for the insight. I wasn't thinking about the supply chain. It strikes me that recent tech. improvements - including location tracking and sensor networks - should allow for some innovation in the way stores are supplied to reduce the need for 24/7 store opening.

To be fair, I didn't come up with that on my own, but saw it on an NHK news program dedicated to the topic. The drivers from the distribution centers use special software to micromanage the routes they take. If there are twenty stops, the algorithms will crunch real time GPS data to devise the optimal route to save every minute and every meter driven possible. But all of that is built upon the premise of 24/7 operations everywhere. I'm sure it would be technically possible to update this with store opening times, but the logistics of rolling this out would be neither easy nor cheap.

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Jan 27, 2020, 12:29 am

#19

jib71

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Quote:

Originally Posted by hailstorm

the logistics of rolling this out would be neither easy nor cheap.

The cost and effort may have been prohibitive until recently, but as human resources get scarcer and technology gets cheaper, the case for making people work around the needs of the bits gets weaker, and the case for managing the bits to accommodate the needs of the people gets stronger.

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