Morrisons trialing AI smart trolley – how does it work?

Morrisons is testing new AI smart shopping trolleys that will supposedly save customers ‘significant time’ during their weekly shop.

The supermarket chain has begun a trial at its Preston store in what is being billed as a ‘new era for in-store grocery shopping’.

The technology is designed to make shopping quicker and easier, with Toby Pickard – the retail futures senior partner of the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) – describing the carts as ‘very easy to use’.

Gordon Macpherson, meanwhile, who is Morrisons’ productivity director, said the trolleys give customers ‘a more seamless experience in the aisle’.

However, with supermarket technologies such as scan & go devices already in use across the UK, is an AI trolley really needed?

Or, could the new trolleys revolutionise shopping across the world forever?

How does it work?

Morrisons’ new smart trolley, which is powered by technology from Instacart, is desgined to automatically recognise items as shoppers put them inside.

Known as the Caper Cart, the high-tech carts have screens that keep a running total of how much is in the basket.

This includes fresh produce, with the trolley being able to weigh items as well.

Customers can also then see their More Card savings and other information as they shop, such as personalised promotions, advertisements or recommendations of what to buy..

Once the shop is finished, a barcode on the trolley can be scanned at a checkout lane to pay.

Why are there not more smart trolleys?

For UK shoppers, smart carts carts offer a similar experience to scan & go shopping, with the only major difference that people would not need to continue scanning for each item.

Morrisons is one of the few major UK supermarkets that does not currently offer a scan & go option.

Waitrose, meanwhile, recently ended a trial of smart carts with Israeli technology company Shopic at one of its stores, 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.