Retailer Checkers has launched South Africa’s first smart shopping trolley, called the Xpress Trolley, which allows shoppers to scan-and-bag items as they go, track a live running total and pay directly on the trolley without having to stand in a queue or bag products at a traditional till point.

Built by the ShopriteX innovation team, the Xpress Trolley is designed to put customers in control of their shopping experience from check-in to check-out, the group says in a statement.

A user-friendly screen guides shoppers through their journey, displaying real-time product details, personalised promotions and a running total that helps them keep tabs on their spending as they go.

The screen also assists with in-store navigation by indicating where products are located within the store, aimed at assisting shoppers to find what they require.

Following initial testing with Home Office employees at Checkers Hyper Brackenfell from mid-August, ten trolleys will be made available to customers at this store, as well as another ten trolleys at Checkers Constantia, both in Cape Town.

To use the trolley, shoppers would scan an Xtra Savings card below the screen mounted on the trolley to start shopping; place the shopping bags provided into the trolley; scan each item’s barcode before placing it into the trolley; track a live basket total, view product info and activate personalised promotions; go to the dedicated checkout lane and pay directly from the trolley using the bank card saved on a customer’s Checkers Sixty60 profile; and take the printed till slip and exit via the checkout gate, with a concierge on hand for support.

“This pilot allows us to reimagine the in-store journey using technology for a more frictionless shopping experience,” Shoprite Group chief strategy and innovation officer Neil Schreuder says.

“The Xpress Trolley enhances convenience, improves speed and keeps customers in control from the moment they enter the store to the moment they leave. Smart trolleys aren’t about the novelty of screens on trolleys – they’re about giving shoppers real-time control, creating a compelling shopping experience,” he adds.

“We are also excited about the potential it holds for Sixty60’s in-store pickers, specifically the additional speed and accuracy with which the in-store picking process can be completed,” Schreuder highlights.

Learnings from the trial form part of the Shoprite Group’s broader strategy to become South Africa’s most profitable and seamless omnichannel retailer.

While smart trolleys have been rolled out in some international supermarkets, the group points out that this is the first time they are being trialled locally, and that it will use insights from this pilot moving forward.