The Associated Press reports that German retailer Metro AG this week opened a store of the future that features state-of-the-art technologies, including “wireless express checkout, smart shelves that alert staff to expired cream cheese and a ‘VeggieVision’ produce scale that sorts pears from peaches with a digital camera.” The store is located in Rheinberg, near Duesseldorf, in western Germany.
Touchscreens on the shopping carts allow shoppers to log on by scanning their loyalty cards and then scan the products as they place them in the cart -- completely negating any reason to stop at a checkout station. The touchscreen also allows them access to lists from previous shopping trips, and even makes suggestions for new purchases.
Of course, some of the technologies on display -- Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), for example -- are limited by the fact that only a few products in the store contain the tags. Nevertheless, the store itself is being trumpeted by the company and in the media as an example of where the retailing experience is headed.
Touchscreens on the shopping carts allow shoppers to log on by scanning their loyalty cards and then scan the products as they place them in the cart -- completely negating any reason to stop at a checkout station. The touchscreen also allows them access to lists from previous shopping trips, and even makes suggestions for new purchases.
Of course, some of the technologies on display -- Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), for example -- are limited by the fact that only a few products in the store contain the tags. Nevertheless, the store itself is being trumpeted by the company and in the media as an example of where the retailing experience is headed.
- KC's View:
- And we don’t doubt it.
