Shopping trolleys fitted with low cost sensors and Bluetooth Smart technology could revolutionise the retail experience, says Cambridge Consultants, pinpointing the location of trolleys within stores to within 1m and alerting shoppers to promotions as they browse the aisles.
The innovation is a small device that fits on a trolley wheel and which harvests energy from the wheel's rotation.
Dipak Raval, a commercial director at Cambridge Consultants, said: "Customers are increasingly frustrated by queueing times in stores – and often reluctant to download apps in order to get the best out of their shopping experience. Our low cost technology is easily combined with existing retail equipment to improve efficiency for both the retailer and the customer."
The 'smart' trolley could interact with customers during a shopping trip; for example, passing on discount vouchers based on where they are in the supermarket. It could also map the most efficient route through a store, based on each customer's shopping list.
As well as enabling stores to target customers with relevant offers as they shop, data from smart trolleys could also be used by retailers to understand better what their customers decide not to buy.
Author
Graham Pitcher
Source: www.newelectronics.co.uk