Grocery Checkouts of the Future
Thousands of grocery stores have adopted a frequent saver card program, or coupon service complete with kiosks and touchscreens. Saving on grocery items is not only a hobby, but often a pivotal choice in the decision process between competing chains. Think of how many circulars and coupon sets are printed each week to lure shoppers into the store; drastic price cuts on particular items are designed to meet and greet you into the store and make it your one-stop destination.
A fresh take on advertising space can be found on advertising conveyor belts; that’s right, local advertisers can feature their products and services right on that black conveyor belt. You don’t need to peruse the magazines and tabloids while waiting for your checker anymore, since your eyes can be glued to a literal rolling list of advertising right underneath that carton of ice cream! The printing system for this type of advertising has been patented by EnVision Marketing Group in Arkansas, with Kroger jumping on board in various test markets.
‘Smart carts’ are uniquely designed shopping carts equipped with a full screen computer panel to help shoppers trek around the store. Highlights of what’s on sale, where to locate it, and rolling advertising spots for various brands are just a few of the luxuries of the smart cart.
RFID and fingerprint scanning options are currently populating hundreds of grocery stores to offer an easy pay-by-touch system. Other stores are also increasing consumer interactivity with speedy checkout lanes that offer self-service scanning and bagging. High speed scanners are in the works, as are RFID tags on items that only require a quick ‘pass’ to be checked out, rather than a traditional barcode scan. The same tags can help grocery store shelf space allocation, and in designing effective shelving strategies.
Metro Future Stores are offering 19-inch plasma screens to direct shoppers to sale items and other key items during their grocery store hike. With this type of ‘live’ advertising, shoppers are in direct contact with the latest and discounts and top choice brands. Complete online grocery services such as Peapod.com offer home delivery and selections all from the website. Peapod is currently found in Chicago, S.E. Wisconsin, and Milwaukee, with additional expansion underway.
As grocery stores evolve to meet the growing demands of technology-savvy consumers, we may see some interesting trends and even additional offerings of discounts. With the impact from Supercenter-style food sources such as Walmart and Super Target, more grocery stores are focusing on luring their customers with an enhanced experience. Personal grocery assistants, online interactivity, and personalized shopping list services may not be far off. Think of the convenience of downloading your grocery list to your phone or PDA and having it instantly appear on your touchscreen smart cart; as you navigate the aisle, the tags you pass light up to highlight your item; interactive shopping may be closer than you think!
