Business is Thriving at the First Bitcoin Supermarket
Three weeks ago we wrote about the first supermarket where you can pay in Bitcoin in Arnhem, the Netherlands.
Spar Arnhem Centraal, opened in March 2014, is a relatively new supermarket near Arnhem central station and the city center. It offers the usual assortment of consumer goods and groceries found in all supermarkets.
Also read: The First Bitcoin Supermarket in Arnhem, the Netherlands
Bitcoin enthusiasts in Arnhem call their city “the Bitcoin City” and claim that it’s the world’s most Bitcoin-friendly city. The event “Arnhem Bitcoin Metropolis ” took place on November 28, and the Spar supermarket started accepting Bitcoin payments on the same day.
A Huge Increase in the Number of Stores that Accept Bitcoin in Arnhem
Seeing Bitcoin “as a great novelty,” Luke van Gelder, an owner of the supermarket, was quite enthusiastic to do an experiment and try out the new technology at work, Bitpost reports .
“There were a lot of people paying in Bitcoins on the first day when we officially started to accept it. I think, it was mostly because of the Bitcoin event held in the city that day. So we had approximately 25 customers. Though I don’t know if it will be successful later, I`m very curious of how it’s gonna work.”
The Spar supermarket uses the BitKassa app for Bitcoin payments, which makes the work of the cashiers very simple. BitKassa is connected to Arnhem Bitcoin City Project and designed to keep the level of hassle as low as possible. There has been more than 50 Bitcoin payments processed at the Spar supermarket since the introduction of Bitcoin.
Van Gelder said:
“I don’t think Bitcoin is an alternative for our current currencies in the near future. But the Bitcoin technology is more relevant to use on a larger scale. I thinks some other stores will start accepting Bitcoins, but it will take a long time when all big companies start accepting Bitcoins. In Arnhem, I see a huge increase in the number of stores that accept Bitcoin.”
I think the Bitcoin economy will really take off when we will be able to use Bitcoin to buy not only exotic optional items sold online, but also to buy the basic goods that we need everyday over the counter. Therefore, I think the thriving business at the first Bitcoin supermarket is very good news.
Images from Gl0ck and Shutterstock.
