A shopping cart that, without human help, can recognize the goods itself, weigh them and then add up the final price of the purchase. The so-called Dash Cart from Amazon can become an attraction for stores that are constantly trying to reduce personnel costs. However, fears that shops will completely do without cash registers will not materialize in the foreseeable future, according to the chains addressed by the online daily Aktuálně.cz.
The smart cart monitors what the customer chooses and what he puts in the basket. He recognizes the goods himself and can also consider them.
At the same time, the smart device looks almost like any other shopping cart in supermarkets. It is just a little more robust and at first glance you can see that it carries a number of new technologies.
Amazon has built several cameras, sensors and scales into the new truck. In addition, all items in the shopping cart are clearly displayed on the touch screen near the handle. The display allows you to create shopping lists or scan discount coupons. It can also be controlled by voice with the help of a virtual assistant Alexy.
Once the customer has completed their purchase, they can simply leave the sales area with a special exit designed for smart carts. The shopping cart records all items itself and calculates the final price on the receipt. He then deducts this himself from the payment card, which is connected to the customer’s account kept with Amazon. According to the innovators, it will no longer be necessary to stand in line at the box office.
Like current shopping systems using scanners or mobile applications, the smartphone allows you to return selected goods. He records himself when the customer changes his mind and removes the item from the shopping cart. In this case, the price disappears from the display again.
However, the company itself adds that the device is not yet suitable for large purchases. “The Dash Cart is designed for small or medium-sized purchases. It can hold two shopping bags. If the item is loaded correctly, the basket will emit a specific sound, and if not, the basket will flash orange,” said an Amazon representative for the AP.
The shopping cart will be available to the public for the first time at a newly planned store in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, to be opened later this year. In the store, however, visitors will also find ordinary cash registers, to which customers are usually accustomed.
The future on the Czech market?
“The work of a saleswoman or salesperson is evolving and the competency model and job description are changing. In the future, even greater emphasis will be placed on customer service, advice, but also orientation in the range and, for example, healthy eating. can replace machine learning and a robot, “Albert spokesman Jiří Mareček tells Aktuálně.cz.
According to him, Albert is already testing various innovative aids, especially in the Netherlands, where the chain has its headquarters. He cites robots for replenishing goods, cleaning, sanitizing surfaces or delivering food.
Many chains already use so-called Scan & Go, or self-service shopping, in which the customer scans the codes of purchased items himself. Globus was one of the first in the Czech Republic to use them. However, he does not plan to introduce smart carts yet.
“We are registering this technology, but we are not considering it in the coming years. Our Scan & Go offers similar benefits and is currently more suitable for our format, which also strongly represents serviced sales,” says Lutfia Volfová on behalf of the Globus chain.
Even Penny Market wants to thoroughly test the operation of smart trucks first. He would consider not only the ease of handling for different customer groups, but also the sustainability of the product.
“The composition of our customers is very diverse. Use would therefore have to be easy and advantageous not only for a narrow group of the most technically proficient customers. Possible use would also be assessed in terms of sustainability – what are the environmental impacts in terms of materials used or product life cycle , “Penny Market spokesman Tomáš Kubík tells Aktuálně.cz.
Cashiers don’t lose their jobs, they calm the chains
However, after a more massive expansion of smart carts on the market, there will be a danger that the novelty will move the salesman’s job to the abyss of history. According to the retail chains contacted Aktuálně.cz, this will not happen.
According to Kubík from Penny Market, the possible introduction of smart shopping baskets would certainly not eliminate the work of employees. “Contacting a salesperson is also important for many customers, and we want our stores to be not only a place to shop, but also a meeting place. That’s why we don’t expect any innovation to completely push the human factor out of the shopping process,” said Penny Market spokesman.
Globus has a similar opinion. “If we were to introduce such baskets now, given the current position of Scan & Go and the continuing popularity of ‘classic’ cash registers among our customers, the effects on our staff would be rather minimal,” says Volfová on behalf of the Globus chain.
Several smart start-ups have already started to produce similar smart shopping carts or baskets, but they are still being tested in stores. Most of them work in such a way that it is necessary to first attach the selected goods to the scanner and only then insert them into the trolley.
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