In the eyes of Giant Super Food Stores, easy shopping means eliminating check-out lines. Their new "easySHOP" technology lets people scan and bag items as they shop throughout the store, then pay at a self-service check-out kiosk and leave. In other words, groceries go into your cart from the shelves and don’t leave until you get to your car.
easySHOP requires Giant’s BONUSCARD loyalty card. The system aims to empower customers by putting more control in their hands. Further, the perception is that scanning one’s own groceries is faster than having them scanned in a check-out line. Finally, the scanner lets people keep a rolling tally of their bill, helping them stay within their budget.
Are there ulterior purposes of this system? Is this a way for Giant to better monitor customer behavior in store? If the scanners contain RFID or GPS, Giant could track exactly how consumers shop the store: the route they take, the time they spend in each aisle or even at each shelf, the items they put in their cart (and those they put back). Another potential benefit to the store is a reduced need for cashiers.
Shoppers might actually spend equal or more time in store doing all this scanning. But the time might not seem as long since they’re so busy scanning and bagging.
Find out more at: http://www.giantsuperfoodstore.com/easyshop.cfm
Images from giantsuperfoodstore.com
