[In the picture] Colruyt trials smart shopping trolley

An unusual shopping trolley is popping up in the Colruyt supermarket near the retailer’s headquarters in Halle, Belgium this month. It can scan the products customers put in it, and charge the total amount at the end of the shopping trip. The ‘Smart Cart’ has been developed in-house and will be tested over the next month.

The trolley scans…

Belgian supermarket chain Colruyt is experimenting with a self-scanning shopping trolley. The system is similar to Amazon’s Dash Cart, but Colruyt Group says it developed it in-house.

The shopping trolley “recognises” what is inside as the customer scans the bar code of the products in the trolley. Products without a bar code, such as fruit and vegetables, can be added using a code after weighing. Smart sensors (including camera technology) and AI check the correct registration and weight of the products. A screen in the handle shows the total account and the shopping list using the Xtra app – which is automatically updated during shopping.

“A next step towards the shop of the future”, the retailer claims. It is still early days: the concept will be tested during this month by some of its employees, after which a thorough evaluation will follow and the retailers will decide whether customers can also test the trolley later in the year.

… and charges

The trolley can charge the customer when he or she wants to leave the shop. In the longer term, this will also be possible with Xtra Pay. “In time, the intention is to speed up the registration process on the cart even more, using artificial intelligence and product recognition to make shopping even smoother”, COO Jo Willemyns says.

Of course, Colruyt also sees opportunities for retail media thanks to the screen on the shopping trolley. The Smart Cart can become a digital platform on which customers can be offered additional services, for example to help them find products in Colruyt shops and recognise promotions. “Eventually, it will be possible to use this cart as a communication and interaction channel with the customer at the most relevant moment for them and for us: an interesting opportunity”, Willemyns concludes.