GRACEFUL

Innovation and Excellence

The Retail innovation helping people to cope with loneliness

by Graceful media team

 Graceful  July 2024   Issue 10

Saturday  25/10/2025  18: 15 P.M  5min read

Less hustle and loneliness: A Supermarket that has “chatting checkouts”

Less hustle and loneliness is a new innovation in supermarket retail in the Netherlands .You can chat with someone at the supermarket checkout. Since the outbreak of COVID 19, many people have been conditioned to the lifestyle of staying alone and they need to be encouraged to make friends again. This new social innovation means that while buying your groceries, you can have a quick friendly chat with someone. This means unburdening your heartaches to the grocer and she might be your contact point to getting the help you need during lonely times. The Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo has introduced slower checkouts for the first time in 2019. The idea is to give customers more time not only to pay and pack, but also to talk to the cashiers. The aim is to counteract the rampant loneliness, especially at old age. In the meantime, 200 of the 700 “Jumbo” stores in the Netherlands have such chatting checkouts. One problem faced by older people worldwide is loneliness. Family members have moved away, friends have died or fallen ill. In addition, hectic schedules and unfamiliar techniques and processes make everyday life more difficult. In urban areas, this is compounded by anonymity. Going to the supermarket means getting out of one’s own four walls. At the same time, everything has to happen quickly at the checkout. A quick greeting, then you has to quickly throw all the groceries into the shopping bag and pay – that’s stress. Jumbo stores have “chatting Checkouts to fight loneliness in the Netherlands. In 2019, the Dutch grocery chain “Jumbo” tried something new. As part of a campaign against loneliness by the Dutch government, they installed slower checkouts. According to a survey, one in ten people in the Netherlands feel lonely. Of the 1.3 million adults over 75, as many as one in three say so.The government’s campaign addressed older people on one hand, encouraging them to get out and do something. On the other hand, it appealed to everyone in the population to take a look at their own elderly relatives and neighbours in the house. The supermarket chain has addressed the issue in its own way. The chain has over 700 stores in the country and has set up a “Kletskassa,” or “chit-chat checkout,” to take the stress out of paying and give people a chance to talk. The first of these cash registers was installed in the town of Vlijmen. The idea was so well received that the company has introduced chattering tills in 200 stores nationwide. In addition, chatting corners have been set up where customers can meet for coffee. The supermarket chain’s employees are also trained to recognize when someone is not feeling well – and to talk to them.

GRAVITAS-The loneliness chatting checkout supermarket is an innovation to help the old after the pandemic.

How innovation in product packaging  is  a driving force behind product marketing

by Graceful media team

Saturday  25/10/2025  23: 40 P.m 5min read

In  a  world where competition is the watchword in the market places.Traders  in the world  market places  know that  what matters  to them is that the  buyers  like the product  and that a product is fast selling.For  a product to stand out  in the supermarket the  product owners  must  make  a product  that have good  and appealing  packaging.The  consumers are not only interested  in what is inside  a  container, but how it is  labeled,the  designs,what was used in wrapping the product  can  make a product  to sell fast in the supermarkets.The  visibility of  the words on the product , matters to the consumers.Not everyone has the ability to see products  on the shelves  clearly.A  product designer has to make  the descriptions  very visible for the aging populations.Most elderly people  have no   stamina to  walk around shop shelves.Sometimes they tend to just  buy what is reachable fast.The product designer  needs consider to  consider the age of those buying a product and  make sure that  the  needs of the  consumers are met.This is  the reason why innovation in product packaging designs  really matter  to consumers.Sometimes  people are more  drawn to  a well packaged  product on the shelf  than its  content,because the eyes  are drawn to beautiful things.Business leaders know that the ability to innovate has become a survival concept for  every business.This  means to provide  something different in the market  as  the  world markets  are  daily  flooded with  goods but a products  has to stand out  to attract buyers. . In our experiences, it’s not just what you produce that matters to consumers but how you present the product  that matters. Innovation should be about generating great ideas, using them to solve strategic consumer needs and executing them brilliantly to deliver superior quality and value for money to the consumer.Most consumers  like to  try out  new  designs  on old products.There is  always that curiosity to buy  a product when the packaging has been changed  to find out if any changes has been made in the tastes.It might still be the same item,but many consumers  have this sense of satisfaction in  a change in product packaging  designs especially if the old ones  are boring.This becomes  a driving  force to  the sell of the product and it can actually improve the sell of an otherwise  slow  product.Innovation  in product packaging  do help marketers  to present a product to the consumers in a new light.And there is always that curiosity  when a new packaging for a product is seen on the  television advertisement  and many people  do actually want to know more  about the product.A change in product packaging  can help a company to  retain  old  buyers  and bring in a fresh generation of buyers  ,as  sometimes entrants into  a market for certain products  are drawn  by the   product  designs.A case scenario  is sanitary towels  in women,which  attracts  newer generations of  buyers.The packaging do  bring fresh curiosity as  younger  people  have  what they like  in  a  packaging different  from  their  parents.And these are some of the reasons  why  product  designers are  the driving forces behind the market  success of a product  ,no matter how  good  a  product is.The  e  commerce  labelling  expo Excel  London which will be held on the 13 - 15 November,will   bring industry leaders in product designs  and packaging to showcase the latest designs in the marketplaces.

The E-Commerce, Packaging & Labelling Expo is the UK’s leading event dedicated to innovative packaging, labelling, and fulfilment solutions for E-Commerce businesses.

• There  will  be 100+ exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge packaging designs and labelling solutions.
• Attendees will gain insights from 50+ expert speakers on packaging innovation, automation, and sustainability.
• Attendees will be taught  how to use eco-friendly and cost-effective packaging solutions to elevate their brands.
• There will be networking opportunities to network with e-commerce sellers, retailers, and logistics professionals looking to streamline their operations.

Courtesy Graceful A  factory  production line

NET ZERO MEA - SOLAR & ENERGY STORAGE

APRIL 9 - 10, 2025

by  Chinyere Nwakanma

The  Net  Zero conference was held at  MARRIOTT HOTEL AL JADDAF, DUBAI, and  is the  leadership summit for the solar, energy storage, and renewable energy sectors in the Middle East. This exclusive event will bring together over 500 senior decision-makers, including top-tier developers, financiers, EPCs, government officials, and innovators from over 50 countries. Additionally, NET ZERO MEA 2025  proudly featured the SMM Tier-1 Awards and FIN-FORBES BEST OF AFRICA Awards, both designed to recognize outstanding leadership and innovation in the renewable energy, solar, and energy storage sectors. With an agenda and networking opportunities, NET ZERO MEA 2025 offers a platform for actionable insights and meaningful collaborations.