While UK chain CeX experiments with Bitcoin-only payments in one of its stores, New Zealand has gone one better with the opening of an online crypto-currency supermarket.
Bitmart.co.nz was set up based on owner Chris Dawson’s inkling that crypto-currency is an integral part of the future of trading.
“The enthusiasm of the growing Bitcoin community and their eagerness to help establish a thriving digital currency economy in New Zealand really solidifies my belief that Bitcoin is here to stay,” he told Stuff.co.nz.
“Blown away”
Bitmart currently accepts both Bitcoin and Dogecoin, with products displayed in fiat or BTC and converted to the relevant currency at checkout.
The range of products on offer is already impressive, ranging from food items to hardware and electronics. Bitmart has furthermore been active in the crypto-community on Reddit, giving out free gift boxes to frequent New Zealand-based posters in crypto-currency sub-reddits.
The store’s opening has been met with a very positive response on social media, with CoinWolf of New Zealand startup Tibno tweeting: “We've broken thru to mainstream (kind of) - you can now buy marmite and toothpaste with BTC in NZ.”
Bitcoin grocery stores are a steadily increasing phenomenon, with sites such as bitdazzle.com starting up late last year. Mainstream adoption is something often explicitly mentioned at official openings, and Bitmart’s Dawson was “blown away” by the popularity of the site since launching on 6 May, Stuff reports.
What many will be monitoring now, however, will be Bitcoin’s volatility, something which could swiftly make both purchasing and pricing the weekly shop something of a calculation nightmare should prices not stabilize.
