Putting the 50 cent coin or one euro in the shopping cart is fine. It is an infallible historical tradition and has given us indelible memories. But it’s time to change a little. Fortunately for technology lovers, shopping carts are also going to be modernized.
It is already happening in markets such as the United States, Japan, Sweden or Germany and They are expected to arrive in Spain soon.. Connected shopping carts have been a reality for a couple of years and are now ready to begin expanding rapidly throughout the shopping centers and supermarkets of our country.
Caper AI is the company behind this big change. A startup that specialized in smart shopping carts and was purchased in 2021 by Instacart for $350 million. After passing through different European countries, it is now expected that in 2025 it will arrive in Spain and France through Auchan, owners of Alcampo.
Connected shopping carts arrive in Spain
The Caper cart has most of the additions that one can anticipate when thinking of a smart cart. From detection sensors to a screen to view information, but it also has up to a POS to make payments with NFC.
Instead of placing the coin, these new cars can be unlocked with your mobile phone. Caper offers models with NFC and others that work with QR codes. The idea is that With our mobile we can unlock one of these carswhich will also be synchronized with our profile.
To prevent theft, and promote associated uses, the shopping cart will be associated with our profile. Here we can register and block a small deposit or directly give our card payment information as security, which will also be used to make the purchase from the cart’s own POS.
Caper offers two models, with a capacity of about 155 L and a weight of about 50 kilograms. They both have a digital screen to see the products that we are placing and have information on how much the account increases at all times.
The difference is that the most advanced one has a automatic product recognition system where, as in the failed Amazon Go stores, we can leave the product in the cart and the system recognizes it by itself. In the simplest car we will have to scan the barcode first.
The arrival of connected cars seeks to promote self-payment, streamline the purchasing process and reduce queues, one of society’s biggest headaches.
Connected carts are not expected to replace traditional shopping carts by default. Not all citizens have a mobile phone or have the necessary knowledge. However, we are seeing that numerous supermarkets in the United States and some European countries are switching to this type of cart.
When we go to Buy the car it is an essential element for most. Currently it only serves as a container, but connected cars, in addition to paying, will allow receive personalized offers and receive product recommendations.
The Association of Manufacturers and Distributors (AECOC) is already working on its adoption for Spain. After many years without changes, shopping carts will also begin to take advantage of the digital world.
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