Morrisons is trialing AI-powered smart shopping trolleys designed to save customers 'significant time' during their weekly shop. The supermarket chain has launched the trial at its Preston store, billing it as a 'new era for in-store grocery shopping'.
How the smart trolley works
The trolley, known as the Caper Cart, is powered by technology from Instacart. It automatically recognizes items as shoppers place them inside, with a screen that keeps a running total of the basket's contents. The trolley can also weigh fresh produce and display More Card savings, personalized promotions, advertisements, and recommendations while shopping.
Once the shop is complete, customers scan a barcode on the trolley at a checkout lane to pay. Toby Pickard, retail futures senior partner at the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD), described the carts as 'very easy to use'. Gordon Macpherson, Morrisons' productivity director, said the trolleys give customers 'a more seamless experience in the aisle'.
Why aren't smart trolleys more common?
For UK shoppers, smart carts offer a similar experience to scan & go systems, with the key difference being no need to scan each item individually. Morrisons is one of the few major UK supermarkets without a scan & go option. Waitrose recently ended a trial of smart carts with Israeli technology company Shopic, having already rolled out scan-and-go devices across hundreds of locations.
Despite the technology being available for several years, UK supermarkets have been slow to introduce smart carts on a large scale. The trial at Morrisons could signal a shift, but whether it will revolutionize shopping worldwide remains to be seen.
