EDIT 2016: Sadly, the idea was more difficult to keep going than they thought and Emmas Enkel has been sold to a large supermarket chain. I still like the idea, so will leave my post.
The Germans call a corner shop ‘Tante-Emma-Laden’ as children used to address the shop assistants as auntie, like Auntie Emma. Just like in the UK corner shops are dying out in Germany. Well, maybe not all …..
Meet Emmas Enkel (Emma’s grandchildren), two young Germans who decided to revive the corner shop and bring it into the 21st century. It started two years ago with a corner shop in Düsseldorf, furnished with old fashioned shelf, just like a corner shop. But they also have a café area where customers can drink coffee and order their shopping via tablets.
If customers don’t have time they can also order online. They now also have a virtual wall on the Vodaphone Campus in Düsseldorf.
I also love their advertising videos. The first one was made for the start of the business, the second one for their second ‘birthday.
Unfortunately for us, they only deliver to customers in Düsseldorf, but if you ever get to Düsseldorf, check out Emmas Enkel!
Edit July 2015 – they have started delivering nationwide in Germany!
Brilliant. Technology at its best. Makes my eyes water. 😉
If they had a shop here, I would order straight away – in the shop, not online, with a coffee!