How Technology is Changing How We Shop for Thanksgiving

Time with family and friends, festive decorations and lots of delicious food all make for a great Thanksgiving. But while the essence of gratitude and togetherness of the holiday season has remained the same for centuries, the way we prepare for the cherished feast has changed drastically.

You might associate the holiday season with bustling grocery stores, endless shopping lists, and hours spent navigating crowded aisles as you gather your Thanksgiving staples. 

But technologies like the Internet, smartphones, and AI have made shopping for the festive season more convenient, fast and personalised than ever before, allowing you to enjoy more time with your family and friends and less time behind a trolley. 

Let’s delve into how technology is changing the way we shop for the Thanksgiving feast and celebrate the festive season! 

Physical Aisles to Virtual Shelves

Gone are the days of battling through crowded grocery store aisles, desperately searching for the last can of cranberry sauce. Thanks to online shopping we can now put on our cosiest pyjamas, fire up our gadgets and put our feet up as we find all the food we need for our Thanksgiving feast. 

With a few clicks, you can fill your digital cart with all the Thanksgiving essentials, from the golden turkey to the pie that Grandma used to make. No lines, no stress, just the joy of selecting your favourite goodies from the comfort of your couch.

The rise of online retailers like Amazon Fresh, Instacart, and Walmart Grocery has fueled this shift to online grocery shopping. These platforms make it easy to get your hands on your favourite, Thanksgiving staples, providing personalised recommendations based on past purchases and preferences to make the shopping experience as easy as possible. 

Smart shopping lists

Who hasn't experienced the frustration of forgetting that one, important ingredient for your Thanksgiving feast? (I’m looking at you Tyhme)!

Apps like Paprika, Evernote, and AnyList provide a convenient platform to jot down ingredients, check off items, and even share lists with family members.

Read our Article: Five Technologies to be Thankful for this Thanksgiving

These digital lists offer added functionality, such as integrating with recipe apps to automatically add ingredients, syncing across devices, and generating grocery store maps based on list items. You can’t lose these lists either, so there’s no excuse for forgetting the potatoes this time, Dad!

Personalised Recommendations and Deals

Thanksgiving shopping has never been more personalized in today's data-driven world, Retailers can use AI to track our online behaviour and suggest products we might be interested in. 

For example, if we have bought a turkey in the past, we might see recommendations for other Thanksgiving staples, such as stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.

These recommendations suggest recipes, ingredients, and even complementary items based on your past purchases, preferences, and dietary needs, making your shopping experience more efficient and tailored to your tastes. 

This means you're more likely to see suggestions for recipes you might like, complementary ingredients you might have forgotten, and even targeted deals on your favourite Thanksgiving ingredients. 

Mobile Payments and Self-Checkout

Mobile payments have made it easier and more convenient to pay for groceries, especially during the busy Thanksgiving season. Mobile payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay have made checkout a breeze, allowing you to pay with just a tap of your smartphone.

Self-checkout lanes have taken over grocery stores, giving shoppers the power to scan their own groceries and pay in a flash. This new way to check out has become a common feature at many grocery stores, allowing you to say goodbye to long queues and endless waiting! 

Self-checkout is especially great for those quick shopping trips when you only need a few things. No more having to join the Thanksgiving rush for that last-minute trip to Walmart!

How Technology Has Changed Thanksgiving Shopping

Technology has changed the way we shop for Thanksgiving dramatically in recent years, making the shopping experience easier, faster and more convenient. 

As technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more changes in the way we shop for Thanksgiving. These changes will make shopping even more enjoyable and give you more time to celebrate this special holiday with your friends and family.

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone here at EM360Tech!