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Stores should just be giant vending machines at this point. Cuts back on retail theft and staffing stores with humans.

We’re already buying stuff from Amazon and going with what’s shown on a screen. Why can’t we be like the replicators in Star Trek, stand in front of a screen, pick what we want, and it magically be placed in front of us?

I live in SF and have a feeling vending machine type stores are a solution to the rampant theft in retail here.

They already are, with the added benefit of not having to leave your house.

https://youtu.be/4DKrcpa8Z_E

It's essentially a L3 cache vs L1(vending machine) or L2(local store), trading latency for selection size.

Yeah, but then you will only buy what you need. Your kid won't see something it wants and beg you. Part of the store is walking around and making unexpected purchases.
There is rampant theft in retail in SF? What kind of products, living essentials or luxury goods?

If its living essentials, locking them behind a secure vending machine could mean the next easiest target would be people's homes...

Wouldn't it be easier to enforce the laws and imprison criminals than to entirely reinvent retail?