01.Introduction
Imagine stepping into a supermarket where your trolley tallies your items as you put them in the basket, shows you where everything is and tells you the weekly specials. You use your smartphone to scan barcodes for price comparisons and product information – its camera even tells you if the chicken you’re about to buy will give you food poisoning. You finish at a self-serve checkout, bag your items and simply tap a scanner with your credit card to pay without needing to sign anything or key in a PIN.
All this technology – and more – could become reality very soon. In fact, in some stores it’s already happening.
At a glance
Now - Self-service checkouts and “Tap N Go” card readers are undeniably convenient, but both currently have risks and limitations.
The future - VIP Trolleys and smartphone barcode scanning technologies are on the rise and likely to be the future of shopping.