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Smart Cart Guides Customers: Touchscreen device with GPS built into shopping cart handle, points shoppers to product

KING CITY, ONTARIO — The Concierge shopping cart device created by Springboard Retail Networks is designed to hold a shopper's list and tally up the total as it's wheeled through the store. The unit features a touchscreen interface built into the handle of the cart.

“The touchscreen interface is totally intuitive and easy to use," says Michael Alexandor, Springboard chief marketing officer. "Even people who have never touched a computer keyboard in their lives can easily understand it, and those with Internet access will find it especially useful.”

The 8.5-inch touchscreen is built directly into a water resistant, shatterproof polycarbonate plastic handle that replaces the existing handle of the cart. “It is designed to meet military specifications," says Alexandor, "so it is not damaged if the cart tips over. It can also handle a range of temperatures from tropical heat to arctic cold."

The shopper activates the system by inserting a personalized access key into the touchscreen display.  The key contains no personal information such as home address or telephone number, but does contain a serial number registered to the individual shopper.

An in-store wireless network connects the unit to the store's database. Concierge is equipped with a miniature equivalent of the GPS global positioning satellite system, allowing sensors to pinpoint the exact location of the cart so that when the shopper turns into a new aisle, the screen can display what products are on the shelves and which items are on sale. If the shopper is looking for a specific item, they can either type in its name or select it from a list and the screen will automatically display a map showing its exact location relative to the cart.

Before an item is placed in the cart, the shopper passes it over a barcode scanner located at the bottom of the display panel. Concierge then keeps a running total of purchases. The system can even suggest related items based on the customer's past shopping history.

 Store discounts offered electronically by the brand marketer must be coordinated with the retailer. The store assigns the item a PLU number that allows it to keep track of the accumulated savings. Because Concierge has wireless Internet access, customers can prepare their shopping lists at home by accessing a special tool provided on a secure website. Once they log onto the system at the store, the items on their shopping list appear on the screen, organized in the order that will lead to the most efficient trip through the store. 
Concierge also speeds the checkout process. “By the time the customer is finished shopping, the system has already figured out their bill,” explains Alexandor. “They either swipe the key and hand it to a grocery checker or insert it into a self-checkout stand and pay."

Once installed, Concierge is totally maintenance free. “The battery that powers the system has a 16-hour life and is automatically recharged when the carts are nested while not in use," explains Sylvain Perrier    , Springboard vice president - technology who designed the system, "The touchscreen operates with Windows CE 5.0 technology, and since all data resides on the store's central system, it never requires programming." 
The cost of Concierge, which includes the sensors and wireless network that connects the cart to the store's database, varies depending on the number of carts, but can run as high as $500 per cart. "But if a retailer takes full advantage of the capabilities of the system, it can easily pay for itself,"Alexandor insists. Canadian stores had planned to test the units in June and July.