An autonomous grocery storage and retrieval terminal comprising: a transportable temperature-controlled container having a top, a bottom, two longitudinal walls, a back end, a front end, and a temperature controlling unit; a user console attached to the front end of the container, said user console comprising at least an input device (601 a,b, 602) for receiving an input from a user for loading or retrieving one or more grocery orders; the container and the user console together forming an outer shell of the terminal; an inner frame inside the outer shell, the inner frame comprising at least one temperature zone, two longitudinal rows of shelf posts along the longitudinal walls forming shelves, and a longitudinal aisle between the rows, a mast configured to move along the aisle on a bottom rail, and a loader attached to the mast, which loader has guide rails located on a lower side of the loader, and the terminal further comprising a controller, and a server in communication with a database for tracking at least one grocery tote within the terminal, and the controller being in communication with the server and the server updating the database regarding location of totes in the terminal, characterized in that the shelf posts are configured to hold a multitude totes or receptacles with totes, that the terminal comprises two inner consoles at the front end of container locating on opposite sides of the aisle, each having an access opening facing toward the aisle, and a lockable inner console door providing an access to the inner console from outside the terminal to receive or load the grocery orders, that the loader is configured to move vertically along the mast and pull out the tote or the tote receptacle fixed to the tote from the shelf and attach on top of the tote or the tote receptacle via the guide rails such the tote is resting underneath the loader, that the mast and the loader are configured to move the tote or the tote receptacle fixed to the tote attached to the loader through the access opening into the inner console that locates on same side of the aisle as the shelf from which the tote was pulled out, and that the loader further is configured to pull out a tote or tote receptacle fixed to a tote from either of the inner consoles through an access opening and move the tote or the receptacle fixed to the tote to a shelf on same side of the aisle as the inner console from which the tote was pulled out. a transportable temperature-controlled container having a top, a bottom, two longitudinal walls, a back end, a front end, and a temperature controlling unit; a user console attached to the front end of the container, said user console comprising at least an input device (601 a,b, 602) for receiving an input from a user for loading or retrieving one or more grocery orders; the container and the user console together forming an outer shell of the terminal; an inner frame inside the outer shell, the inner frame comprising at least one temperature zone, two longitudinal rows of shelf posts along the longitudinal walls forming shelves, and a longitudinal aisle between the rows, a mast configured to move along the aisle on a bottom rail, and a loader attached to the mast, which loader has guide rails located on a lower side of the loader, and the terminal further comprising a controller, and a server in communication with a database for tracking at least one grocery tote within the terminal, and the controller being in communication with the server and the server updating the database regarding location of totes in the terminal, characterized in that the shelf posts are configured to hold a multitude totes or receptacles with totes, that the terminal comprises two inner consoles at the front end of container locating on opposite sides of the aisle, each having an access opening facing toward the aisle, and a lockable inner console door providing an access to the inner console from outside the terminal to receive or load the grocery orders, that the loader is configured to move vertically along the mast and pull out the tote or the tote receptacle fixed to the tote from the shelf and attach on top of the tote or the tote receptacle via the guide rails such the tote is resting underneath the loader, that the mast and the loader are configured to move the tote or the tote receptacle fixed to the tote attached to the loader through the access opening into the inner console that locates on same side of the aisle as the shelf from which the tote was pulled out, and that the loader further is configured to pull out a tote or tote receptacle fixed to a tote from either of the inner consoles through an access opening and move the tote or the receptacle fixed to the tote to a shelf on same side of the aisle as the inner console from which the tote was pulled out.