Microsoft’s Digital Grocery Cart
RFID Technology Aids High-Tech Grocery Shopping with New MediaCarts
Microsoft is bringing high-tech grocery shopping to a store near you. The computerized MediaCarts include RFID technology and will be rolled out in the U.S. in 2008.
Move over, George Jetson. Grocery shopping 2.0 has arrived and is coming to a food store near you!
For the past 4 years, Microsoft has been working with MediaCart Holdings Inc, a Texas-based company, developing special computerized grocery carts mounted with high-tech video consoles.
Beginning the second half of 2008, the companies will test the high-tech grocery carts in over 200 ShopRite grocery stores on the East Coast of the United States.
MediaCart Specifics
- From home, ShopRite customers with loyalty cards will log into a specific online website and enter a grocery list from home
- From store location, customers will log on by using on-cart scanner
- From store location, a simple swipe of the loyalty card will bring up the grocery list that was entered from home
- Customers will be able to receive electronic coupons while shopping
- Customers will be able to comparison shop
- Customers will be able to view recipes and nutrient information on items
- Price checks will be available using cart scanner
- MediaCarts will provide directions to locate specific products in store
- A tiltable touch-screen console will provide an up-to-date price total of items
- Customers will be able to scan items as they are placed in carts (The scanning device is located underneath the shopping cart’s handle)
- Items will be automatically checked off the grocery list as they are placed in cart
- Expedited checkout as customers will no longer have to wait in long checkout lines
RFID Technology
Radio-frequency identification technology, RFID, will be included in the new high-tech carts. RFID consists of a small chip, which contains data, and antenna. The technology is somewhat similar to bar codes and magnetic strips often found on credit cards. A unique identifier is embedded, which must be scanned.
The RFID technology identifies the location of the cart in the grocery store, and will display short video advertisements and product offers based on the items specific to the location of the shopper. For instance, if a shopper is the ice cream aisle, an ice cream coupon may pop-up on the display.
For those concerned with privacy and security issues, no personal information from the loyalty cards will be shared with any advertisers or Microsoft.
The new MediaCart pilot program will run for 9 months.
Grocery shopping may be a brand new shopping adventure with Microsoft's new computerized grocery carts.
For further reading on the RFID technology, read New U.S. Passport Cards in 2008.
Sources:
MediaCart Press Release, January 14, 2008
