Sobeys Brings Smart Carts to Canadian Grocery Stores

In an effort to enhance the in-store shopping experience for its customers, Sobeys has just rolled out Canada’s first intelligent shopping cart dubbed the Smart Cart, starting with its Glen Abbey location in Oakville, Ontario. According to Sobeys, its new Smart Cart is primarily aimed at improving in-store checkout lineups.

The Sobeys Smart Cart scans and weighs products as customers place them in the cart, displays a running tally of purchases while the customer shops, and allows customers to pay on the spot with the cart. Equipped with AI and machine learning technology, Sobeys claims its cart will continually evolve to improve beyond a speedy checkout.

The cart will also evolve from “scanning” product to “identifying” product, thanks to its multiple high-resolution cameras that capture 120 images per second as the product is placed in the cart:

“While products and customer eating habits have evolved, the in-store grocery shopping experience has remained relatively static for the last 100 years,” said Mathieu Lacoursiere, Vice President, Retail Support at Sobeys Inc. “This is a unique way for us to test innovative new technologies aimed at enhancing the customer shopping experience and learn how best to make it faster and easier.”

Recent research has shown nearly 52% of Canadians feel their current in-store shopping experience would significantly improve if they were able to quickly and conveniently navigate the store.