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Wegmans is introducing innovative smart shopping carts at its Genesee Street location in DeWitt. These carts feature a touch screen on the handlebar, instructing shoppers to scan product barcodes at sensors in the cart's corners. Once scanned, the cart signals when to place items in the bag within the cart.
According to WSYR-TV, this initiative is part of Wegmans' "Smart Cart Test & Learn Pilots," being trialed at four New York locations, including stores in Perinton, Pittsford, and Buffalo. Employee testing has already occurred, and select customers have had the opportunity to try the carts before they become available to the public on Friday (June 27).
Wegmans aims to assess whether this technology suits the unique shopping needs of its customers. Evelyn Ingraham of Wegmans stated, "Our goal is to determine if Smart Cart Technology is a fit for the unique shopping assortment offered in our stores and if it meets the shopping needs of our customers."
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wegmans introduced a "SCAN" app for mobile scanning, which was discontinued in 2022 due to theft concerns. The company is now exploring new digital solutions to enhance the shopping experience.
As reported by Yahoo News, the smart carts are similar to self-checkout stations, with some including scales to flag unscanned items. Wegmans will gather customer feedback to refine and improve the technology.
