The way we shop looks very different today than it did a year ago, let alone 10 years ago.
Supermarkets up and down the country have been adding more and more technology to their stores of late – from AI trolleys to electronic shelf labels and facial recognition.
And now there’s yet another new device to look out for when grabbing some groceries – although this is one that probably won’t spark so much outrage as others.
Tesco is trialing new avocado scanners in five stores, which allow customers to check how ripe the fruit is before putting it in their trolley or basket.
The retailer claims the technology is ‘ground-breaking’ and takes only a few seconds to use.
So, how do they work?
The OneThird Avocado Scanner, named after the Dutch company that invented it, uses infrared technology to assess the inside of the fruit.
You simply hold an avocado in front of it and it provides a ripeness reading.
There are two different outcomes it can reveal: either the avocado is ripe and ready to be smashed on toast, or it would be better sliced and served in a salad/sandwich.
If you’re tempted to give it a go for yourself, you can find the scanners in the Cheshunt Extra and Colchester Superstores in Essex, as well as the Stratford Upon Avon Superstore in Warwickshire, Wokingham Superstore in Berkshire and the Salisbury Extra in Wiltshire.
Tesco avocado buyer Lisa Lawrence is a fan of the new technology, as she believes it will help the supermarket reduce waste.
She said: ‘The scanner will enable shoppers to choose the avocado that is right for them and which therefore can help them plan their usage and desired shelf life, thereby cutting down on waste.
‘It encourages shoppers to check ripeness without squeezing, helping protect avocados on shelf from damage, reducing waste, and keeping produce fresher in store.’
She adds: ‘Smashed avocado on sourdough continues to be one of the trendiest snacks at the moment, with recipes ideas garnering millions of views on social media sites, so we think the scanner will be really popular with shoppers.’
What do shoppers really think?
While it might be a real first-world problem to have, Tesco shoppers on social media have branded the experience of buying overripe avocados as ‘painful’, with some going as far as to claim cutting into overripe fruit ‘ruined their night’.
This new technology will hopefully help people avoid this, as well as tackling one other big issue people have with avocados sold in supermarkets.
Over on Reddit, many were hopeful the scanners will prevent people from ‘squeezing’ all the avocados in the store, just like Lisa said.
A Reddit user known as u/TheMasterGenius said: ‘If it stops shoppers from “squeezing” and bruising every piece of fruit they touch, I support it.
‘PSA: Do not squeeze produce! Squeezing or checking firmness to determine ripeness leaves future shoppers with molested and bruised fruit.’
Similarly, u/ideastoconsider said: ‘As someone who likes to make homemade guac, I love this idea.’
While u/EagerlyDoingNothing thought: ‘This would be great if it could be as specific as “want to eat in 1-3 days, 3-5 days, 5-7 days”, etc.’
Others were left feeling a bit bemused by the new technology, with one person saying: ‘What a time to be alive.’
A few also asked if it was a joke, with one person adding: ‘The world’s gone mad.’
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