PHOENIX -- Stop & Shop, Quincy, Mass., plans to test a wireless shopping cart screen, dubbed the "Shopping Buddy," at three stores in the Boston area "early next year," Edward Porter, vice president, customer marketing, told SN.
Porter gave a presentation describing the Shopping Buddy here at the GEMCON 2002 in-store and Internet marketing and promotions conference, which ran from Oct.16 to 18 at the Pointe South Mountain Resort. GEMCON was sponsored by the Food Marketing Institute and Grocery Manufacturers of America, Washington, and Retail Systems Consulting, Naples, Fla.
Designed by Unipower Solutions, Quincy, Mass., the Web-based Shopping Buddy device, mounted at the front of a shopping cart, reads a shopper's loyalty card and lists favorite items and specials on previously purchased items, as well as targeted offers. Shoppers can be alerted to these products via infrared signals.
The touchscreen system also offers a store directory, cordless product scanner and deli ordering option. Shoppers can use the scanner, from Symbol, Holtsvlle, N.Y., as a self-checkout device, scanning items as they move through the store. "We think this significantly improves the shopping experience," said Porter.
Unipower plans to test a kiosk with capabilities similar to those of the Shopping Buddy in the first quarter of 2003.
Meanwhile, Safeway, Pleasanton, Calif., is in the early stages of testing a similar device called "Magellan" at a few stores. Like the Shopping Buddy, Magellan is aimed at loyalty card holders, who are offered four individually targeted specials that appear on the shopping cart screen. The system tells shoppers the exact aisle or department where they can find the targeted products.
Also like Shopping Buddy, Magellan lists regularly purchased items based on a shopper's personal shopping history, reminds shoppers that they are near a promoted item as they move through the store, and offers a map of the store.
Shopping Buddy and Magellan are the latest attempt at a cart screen that communicates with shoppers. The original model, called VideoCart, failed.
