[…] The grocery store innovation, like its department store counterparts, was giving consumers a single place to buy what they wanted. As important, these vast physical showrooms gave consumers the chance to physically inspect — to touch and feel — the items they wanted to buy before making the purchase as they browsed the stores. A century or more ago, items were kept behind a counter and consumers had to ask a sales associate for help. Department stores and grocery stores removed that friction and made shopping easier and more convenient. […]