The shopping trolley has become an integral part of supermarkets and discounters. In the future, a digital innovation could make the classic coin superfluous.
Munich – Whether fruit and vegetables or heavy crates of drinks – there is room for numerous groceries in the shopping trolley at the supermarket or discounter. It is often used for larger purchases. From the shelf to the checkout or to the car, the food can be easily transported.
In order to be able to use the shopping cart, customers at Aldi, Lidl, Rewe and the competition usually need a plastic chip or coins. But this could come to an end in the future. Consumers are likely to face a serious innovation.
Aldi, Lidl, Rewe and Co.: Without coins – shopping trolleys of the future?
As in many areas of everyday life, digitization is advancing in the supermarket. The shopping trolley manufacturer Wanzl has been working on a smart solution for years, the consumer magazine Chip.de reported. Apparently with success: The so-called smart trolley is supposed to make it possible to unlock shopping carts digitally – with a smartphone or smartwatch.
| Wanzl | |
|---|---|
| Industry: | Manufacturer of shopping trolleys and luggage transport trolleys |
| Seat: | Leipheim (Bavaria) |
| Manager: | Klaus Meier-Kortwig |
But how is this supposed to work? To unlock, customers have to download the app of the respective supermarket or discounter to their smartphone. In a next step, only the mobile phone has to be held over the digital deposit lock, and the shopping cart is then unlocked via NFC or Bluetooth, it said. This would make the conventional coin superfluous.
A company is working on a smart shopping cart. This would make the classic coin superfluous. © Martin Wagner/imago
Shopping trolley soon without a coin? Company is working on a "hybrid solution"
Older people or those who don't want to download a supermarket app are likely to be sceptical about the new concept. Can the shopping cart then only be unlocked via an app?
Wanzl is at least working on a "hybrid solution consisting of a conventional coin lock and a digital deposit lock," the company said in a statement. With test phases, one should first "gain initial market experience and see how it is received overall," an employee of the company told Chip.de.
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Smart shopping cart: When will it come to Germany?
For one or the other, however, the new system should be quite interesting, as you save yourself the annoying search for small change or a suitable chip. However, it will probably take some time before the smart shopping trolley is also available in Germany. "In general, digitalisation in the retail sector is advancing in leaps and bounds, but in Germany in particular, the complete transformation will certainly take some time," Wanzl wrote.
Aldi now uses special sales terminals. In Bavaria, Rewe has already tested a new supermarket concept without a cashier. Here, customers can shop 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (kas)