Do you remember when the only place to buy books was a bookstore? I do. One day, that changed – supermarkets began selling books too. But not just any books. They sold only the most popular titles, the ones with big fonts and bright covers. Bestsellers.
Bookstores, on the other hand, offered something different: shelves lined with niche titles that might sell only a few copies a year, and expert staff who could help you discover them. The supermarket model deliberately excluded these kinds of books. It was a strategic business decision known as cream skimming.
Cream skimming is a market practice where a business focuses exclusively on the most profitable segment – “the cream” – and avoids serving lower-margin or more complex customers or products. In the book world, that meant supermarkets stocked only high-demand titles, maximizing profit while avoiding the cost and uncertainty of lesser-known works and debut authors. This had consequences: bookstores saw their profits shrink, new authors lost visibility, and publishers doubled down on mass-market content. What was good for supermarket chains wasn’t necessarily good for readers – or for culture.
We’re seeing a similar pattern emerge with robotaxis.
Private companies are rolling out autonomous vehicle services in select, wealthy, densely populated areas. These services are typically available only to tech-savvy users who have smartphones, credit cards, and a stable internet connection. Often, they function only in well-mapped areas, during peak hours, or in good weather. Once again, we’re witnessing a form of cream skimming.
Without oversight, this trend risks leaving rural communities underserved and excluding vulnerable users – such as those with disabilities, the elderly, or those facing language or technological barriers. Public transport services, which might be left to serve only the “non-profitable” users, could see rising costs and declining quality, reinforcing inequity.
Cream skimming has long been criticized for exacerbating market failures and social inequality. That’s why public policy must take a stand. European projects like SINFONICA aim to do just that – supporting inclusive mobility pilots and policies that reduce the digital divide and ensure access for all citizens, not just the most profitable ones.
Market-driven mobility alone is not enough. Fairness and accessibility must be embedded as core design principles, not afterthoughts. SINFONICA highlights the importance of co-creation, where industry, public authorities, and citizens collaborate to ensure that innovation aligns with societal needs.
Today, many of us buy books online, where a broader variety is again available. But the lessons of the supermarket era still apply. Just as we learned to be wary of how market logic reshaped access to books, we must now be vigilant about how it shapes the future of mobility. Because if we allow profit alone to steer the wheel, too many may be left behind.
Author: Francesca Merlo (POLITO)
