In the stores of the future, plastic will be a thing of the past

Customers are eager to reduce their environmental footprint. So they're turning to the local corner shop.

The Soap Dispensary & Kitchen Staples.
(Image credit: Courtesy The Soap Dispensary & Kitchen Staples)

For a store of the future, The Soap Dispensary and Kitchen Staples shop in Vancouver, Canada, has a cozy old-style feel. Jars and bins line the long counter; all the products on the shelves are package-free and easy to pick up and examine. "People come here to talk about the things they buy," owner Linh Truong explains. "Shopping is a collaboration. Staff take each order and touch every product."

The busy counter, which buzzes with neighborly greetings, is about as far from anonymous online shopping as it gets. Not only do many of the products come in bulk (you bring your own bottles, containers, and shopping bags), but most customers are hyper-local and walk or cycle to the shop to pick up items — everything from mundane kitchen staples like olive oil, to the unusual, like a new pigment for handmade eye shadow.

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Diane Selkirk

Diane Selkirk is a nomadic writer who's spent the past eight years sailing around the world with her family. Along the way she's written stories for publications including BBC Travel, National Geographic Travel, Conde Nast, and Cosmopolitan.