As everyone’s pace of life has accelerated, few of us now make the time for a weekly run to the grocery store. Last-minute, just-in-time shopping is increasingly the norm. At the same time, more people than ever live in condominiums and other kinds of residential communities that attract residents with amenities like gyms, pools and party rooms.

But at the end of the day, isn’t ultra-convenient food shopping the greatest amenity?

Aisle 24 was founded in 2015 with a vision toward automated grocery vending, inspired by advances in automation, technology and payment systems. But the entrepreneurial venture soon started thinking outside those small boxes.

What if new technology could provide a more secure, reliable way to offer the same kind of convenience as a local corner store grocery market, but right in the same building or complex where people lived?

In September 2016, in partnership with Knightstone Capital and Centennial College, we launched Canada’s first cashierless grocery store at Centennial Place student residence, tailored to the specific purchasing habits of their community.

The success of that market allowed us to expand across the Greater Toronto Area, and other major Ontario cities. Today we continue to innovate and evolve, with a larger retail format that is part of a growing list of high-profile new developments right across the country.