Sorry, the store is reloading now
The entrance sensors recognise the day’s first customer, transitioning the store’s ambient lighting to a cheery morning mode.
- Good morning, sweetheart. How are you doing today?
- Good morning. Shall I cut the usual microgreens for you?
The Senior Regular looks around with mild curiosity, trying to recognise the store.
- Yes, please. I’ll need to refill my hair care before it starts raining again.
- Sorry, the store is reloading now.
- What a nice way to say that something is broken.
- Oh, nothing is broken, and everything is in the same place. My colleague is finishing upgrading the most popular modules to their better versions.
- I hope the autostitcher has free slots for today?
The Manager walks the lady to present the new module that shines with prefabricated, out-of-the-box newness.
- We got an upgrade to a dual-arm one. It has twice as much slots, precision stitching, and it should work much faster.
Shaking hands of the Senior Regular feed the machine with expertly folded clothes. She brushes her fingertips across the upgraded module, sighing nostalgically.
- I actually liked waiting two days for it. It gave me time to imagine all the places I'd wear it in. Some things are better when you wait.
The autostitcher’s scanning arms move precisely, mapping the garments for modification. The store welcomes another customer as the Senior Regular accepts a sequence of suggested repairs projected on the fabrics. The Manager turns to greet the next arrival. The logo of a local gym on a sports bag explains the red and tired face.
- Dang, you maxed out the store?
- This was a community effort, but we’ve upgraded our most popular modules.
- Congrats! What are the new features?
The manager points out new modules, explaining them with evident pride.
- With the extended swapbox we’re finally packageless on most items, which means more green coins for you; the autostitcher has a dual arm now for faster work, we got more cooled slots for 24h preorder pickups, and the home improvement library got bigger.
- Nice.
- Thank you. Can I start something for you?
- Sure thing, I’ll have a protein hot dog and a caffeine smoothie. The pawbar is up and running?
- It may work a little slower.
- Oh, the lab crunch is back! Wow. We used to hunt in the woods, and now we get excited looking for new items on the snack aisle shelf.
- See you at the pick-up counter.
The manager approaches the technician working quietly in the corner.
- Sorry to bother you, but how much longer will it take? The morning rush will start soon.
The Technician makes her headset transparent and shows the tablet filled with red indicators visible on the store's digital twin.
- No probs. Everything is ready, the store AI is just not calibrating new modules properly. I’m reuploading the firmware for new modules but everything works. Just lil slower.
- Oh, great. Then never mind. I’m just a human in a store that could run perfectly well without humans at all.
- Don’t be so shy. You’re the star of the community! Convenience stores are the cornerstones of a 15-minute city. Did you know that every election cycle we lose some store managers as they are voted to the district council?
- I’m not going anywhere, for now.
The Technician flips the headset visor to troubleshoot when a customer with huge headphones enters the store. A sound of thunder fills the store through the closing door. The manager arranges previous orders at the pick-up counter. Headphones look around and go straight to the meals module to browse the sets arranged horizontally by the time of day and vertically by the prep effort required.
When the manager turns around with the drinks, the headphones put down a ‘full taco day’ meal set on the pickup counter while pointing at the home improvement module.
- Hi, can I borrow a power drill?
- Absolutely. Are you a postcode resident?
- Oh shoot, I’m just helping a friend.
- The store may need some more details.
- Ok, in that case, we’ll come back later.
- Please do. Our nano brew should be ready for the weekend very soon. By the way, the red ones taste better heated up.
- Thanks. See you later.
The module Technician approaches the pickup counter.
- The final double check.
After a few seconds, the technician's tablet lights up all indicators in green, and his face relaxes.
- Ok. My work here is done. All systems clear. All modules operational.
- Starting the weekend early? Our nano brew is almost ready.
- Not this time. I’m focusing on an internal job interview I have next week.
- Are you looking to be a tech manager?
- No, not really. I’m trying to relocate to a remote area.
- Why is that?
- Remote stores have more interesting modules to work with. Disappearing services are now simple stations built into the store's footprint.
- What are they?
- A lot, like legal and notary, flash 3D printers, repair bars, nail stations, and many other things that are cheaper and faster to get or ship in any bigger city.
They shake hands as the technician looks around the store.
- In that case, good luck!
- Thanks. There should be a module for that.
As the Technician steps outside, the store’s final indicator goes green. The Manager exhales, smiling at the upgraded modules. The morning wave has yet to begin, but the reloaded store stands ready to support community life with a broader selection, improved services… and better hot dogs.
Hello Practical Futurists,
Welcome back from the future, where local stores learn and upgrade themselves one module at a time to offer even more reasons to pop in.
Hit the "Like" button at the top or bottom of this page to inspire others and help them discover the stories you've enjoyed.Great leaders practice experiencing the future, not just thinking about it. Like athletes visualizing their performance, they build vivid mental pictures of tomorrow to make better decisions today.
Our weekly workouts use futures thinking and product sci-fi to help you create a library of future memories - turning abstract possibilities into reference points that can inform your choices.
To spark your imagination, here's a thought to start with:
Let's make this future personal.
We'll start by connecting this story to your life, transforming abstract possibilities into memories you can use to navigate tomorrow's challenges.
Personal life reflection prompts:
1. Do you prefer gradual improvements or complete overhauls when upgrading something in your life? What experiences shaped this preference?2. How do you feel about packageless shopping? What one thing would convince you to fully embrace it?3. What 2 service modules would you love to use in your local convenience store?4. Create a memory of your first visit to a fully modular convenience store: - Which services disappeared from your neighbourhood but reappeared as a store module? - How did it feel different from traditional stores? - What made you realize this was the future of community life? - Which module became your favourite and why?
5. If you could have a home improvement library in your neighbourhood, what 2 tools would you borrow most often?6. Picture your first time borrowing from a store's library of things: - What did you need to borrow? - How did the verification process work? - What surprised you about the experience? - How did it change your buying habits?
7. When was the last time waiting for something made you appreciate it more? What does it tell you about instant gratification? Nice work!
Your future memory library now has some valuable personal references. Let's fire up your thinking to add some professional leadership moments.
How will you help others navigate this future? It's time to create those memories.
Professional life reflection prompts:
1. What 2 aspects of your work would benefit from a "digital twin" for testing before implementation? 2. Imagine implementing your first resource-sharing platform: - What convinced hesitant users? - How did you handle resistance to change? - What unexpected benefit emerged? - How did it transform behaviour patterns?
3. When scaling operations, how do you prioritise between speed and maintaining quality?4. Create a memory of managing your first AI calibration project: - What human pattern surprised the system most? - How did you balance efficiency with adaptability? - Which resistance revealed a deeper insight? - What made the team trust the process?
5. Share 2 examples when reframing a problem helped communicate suboptimal events to stakeholders.6. What services could your organisation modularise to address various needs simultaneously?You did amazing! Excellent work!
Today's memories join your growing library of future experiences.
Thank you for expanding your imagination with us. Leaders with bold ideas move our world forward.
Think bright, and see you soon.
Pawel Halicki
Make Practical Futures feel like yours in 2025
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