GROCERY store shoppers may be able to take advantage of a new checkout method as a retailer trials a futuristic buggy.
If the new cart becomes a permanent option, then it would change the way shoppers scan and pay for items.
The new cart is being trialed at select Wegmans locations (stock)[/caption]
Shoppers would be able to scan their items as they wander up and down the aisles, rather than waiting until they reach a checkout line.
Customers who use the new cart would be able to scan the item at sensors installed on it.
Shoppers will know when they will be able to put the product in the buggy, as reported by the ABC affiliate WSYR-TV.
A green light will appear and customers will hear a beeping noise.
Wegmans shoppers will be able to use the new carts and they will be available at the chain’s store in DeWitt, New York, around 130 miles from state capital Albany, later this month.
Chiefs picked out four stores to try out the futuristic carts.
Stores in Buffalo and Rochester, New York, are also taking part in the program.
Bosses hope the trial will be useful as this provides them with an opportunity to gather customer feedback.
It’s not the first time that Wegmans bosses have explored alternative checkout methods.
In January 2023, chiefs piloted a gadget that could keep track of items inside a shopper’s cart.
Before starting their trip, customers would put the device on top of their buggy.
The device contained sensors that would detect items placed inside carts.
Shoppers who used the device didn’t have to wait in lengthy lines as they could pay for their items using a touchpad, as per the Democrat and Chronicle.
Wegmans discontinued its in-house scanning app in September 2022.
Latest self-checkout changes
Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed up checkout times and reduce theft.
Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at various locations were made available only for Walmart+ members.
Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed during specific hours, and more cashiers were offered instead.
While shoppers feared that shoplifting fueled the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.
One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would stop the fiercely contested receipt checks.
However, that test run has been phased out.
At Target, items are being limited at self-checkout.
Last fall, the brand surveyed new express self-checkout lanes across 200 stores with 10 items or less for more convenience.
As of March 2024, this policy has been expanded across 2,000 stores in the US.
Shoppers have also spotted their local Walmart stores restricting customers to 15 items or less to use self-checkout machines.
Bosses revealed theft and shoplifting were among the factors that influenced their decision.
The discontinuation of the feature divided shoppers. Some welcomed the move, while others opposed it.
“It was really helpful to me as i have a condition that affects my ability to pick things up,” one Redditor said.
“Made it great to shop with a stroller. Just scan and put in the bag in the bottom of the stroller,” another chimed. “Miss those days.”
Some shoppers thought the scanning app slowed the process down.
“Far faster to dump things in my cart or basket, then scan and bag when I was done,” they said.
“Didn’t need to have my phone out while I was shopping.”
Shoppers at other supermarkets and wholesalers can take advantage of checkout methods where they don’t have to wait in lines.
Scan and go is a popular method for Sam’s Club shoppers and bosses are encouraging members to take advantage of the program.
Scan and go is also offered at Walmart stores, but users have to go to a self-checkout machine to complete their payments.
It’s not the first time Wegman’s has trialed new concepts[/caption]
