Repacking the supermarket: food retail evolution and futures

Structured chronologically, the research analyses and reimagines supermarkets through the lens of three themes: consumption, culture, and climate. Four outputs are generated through a research-by-design methodology and the flexible medium of drawing: [1] A taxonomy of supermarket development: 1930’s-2020. [2] Thematic studies relating supermarket space to wider food systems.

[3] Three propositional future supermarkets. [4] A speculative future supermarket taxonomy: 2020-. <br><br>The research suggests that current supermarket space is secondary to the processes and technologies managing food logistics; designed primarily to accelerate the flow of food and people through them. The thesis suggests that future supermarkets might better address inherent social and environmental issues by becoming more local, more efficient, more transparent, and more participatory.

The experimental study tests a range of visual scenario-building and design approaches useful for designers to analyse and reimagine other spatial types within wider social, technical, ecological, economic, and political contexts.