Smart carts headed to NYC Morton Williams supermarkets

Smart grocery carts that allow shoppers to bypass the checkout line and pay directly from the cart will soon be available at Morton Williams supermarkets in New York City.

The grocer, which operates 17 stores in the New York metro area, has purchased 100 of the carts from manufacturer A2Z Smart Technologies Corp, according to a recent announcement.

The carts replace traditional self-checkout with “sophisticated computer vision and weighing systems,” that automatically calculate the total, according to the company’s website. The Cust2Mate service also enables a variety of services, including optimized shopping routes, personalized offers, family allergy alerts, dietary smart shopping and budget optimizations.

“Powered by features like a smart scale, RFID, barcode scanner, self-checkout capabilities, computer vision supported by AI and machine learning, and a comprehensive customer interface, Cust2Mate enables retailers to embrace advanced technology and gain valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences,” the company noted in a press release.   

The purchase follows a successful pilot period for the 75-liter smart carts. The tech company said the collaboration “showcases the potential of A2Z's smart cart Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) solution, empowering retailers like Morton Williams to optimize their operations, enhance customer experiences, and generate additional revenue.”  

"This order reflects Morton Williams' confidence in our Cust2Mate smart cart solution and its ability to deliver tangible benefits to their customers and business," said Guy Mordoch, CEO of A2Z’s subsidiary Cust2Mate, in a statement. "As we continue to expand our presence in the market, we remain committed to providing innovative technology solutions that drive growth and transformation for our clients." 

Morton Williams CEO Avi Kaner said the upgrade is about efficiency for the grocer’s customers. "By incorporating innovative technology into our operations, we are better positioned to meet the evolving needs of our customers, saving them time and money,” he said. “We believe that this partnership with A2Z Cust2Mate will further strengthen our competitive edge in the market." 

The high-tech carts are similar to those used by Amazon at some of its brick-and-mortar stores. Items are automatically added to the order when shoppers place them in the cart. Those so-called Amazon Dash Carts were launched in 2020 at the company’s Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores, and they have recently expanded to some Whole Foods locations.