Amazon Dash Carts Are Going In To The First Whole Foods Market Store

In 2020, Amazon introduced the Amazon Dash Carts at Amazon Fresh stores across the United States. Now, Amazon is bringing new and improved Dash Carts to Whole Foods Market stores. The new version will be first available at the Whole Foods Market store in Westford, Mass. Additional Whole Foods Market stores will be eventually be added, as well as Amazon Fresh stores throughout the United States.

The carts will be a newer, updated version of the previous Dash Cart, still offering the same technology, but more features including a delicates shelf, and a lower shelf for oversized items. The new carts weigh less, but can hold more than double the capacity (four grocery bags vs. two grocery bags), and they will have an extended all-day battery life.

The screens on the new Dash Carts will have images of fresh items nearby, and will give shoppers the option to type in an item name instead of the PLU code. Also, the carts can better determine its location in the store to show shoppers nearby products and deals.

The new Dash Cart is also weather-resistant, which will allow customers to their cars with the carts. And to ensure the carts are durable enough to withstand summer heat and winter cold, the company says it baked the technology in an oven, and froze carts in a freezer to make sure they could handle harsh weather conditions. 

These updates “are the result of customer feedback, improved computer vision and sensor fusion technology, and backend innovation and testing. For example, we doubled the capacity of the cart while maintaining the ability to quickly measure produce weight for certified accuracy and price,” Amazon says.

“As many of our customers return to their in-store grocery shopping routines, it's exciting to introduce new and unique ways for them to shop our stores,” says Leandro Balbinot, chief technology officer for Whole Foods Market.

To use the new version of the Dash Cart, shoppers can log in through a QR code in the Amazon or Whole Foods Market app. From there, they will be able to sign in and begin using the cart.