French supermarket operator Monoprix is rolling out intelligent shopping trolleys of the Cust2Mate brand from A2Z Smart Technologies. Customers can now use five of the Israeli specialist provider’s smart carts in the Monop’ supermarket at 148 Malakoff Avenue in Paris. The installation is the second of Casino Group within just a few weeks. At the beginning of August, 10 of the systems went live in a Franprix supermarket in the 17th arrondissement of Paris.
Hila Kraus, VP of Business Development and Strategy at A2Z Smart Technologies told the Retail Optimiser that Monoprix plans to continue to roll out the systems gradually to a total of 20 stores. The same applies to Franprix. Here too, 20 supermarkets will initially be equipped with the technology. Already In June last year, competitor Carrefour piloted 15 Cust2Mate Smart Carts in its hypermarket in Sainte Geneviève des Bois near Paris. The Retail Optimiser reported.
Casino Group’s projects show up as first results of the tech firm’s partnership with system integrator IR2S. In September 2023, A2Z Smart Technologies signed a framework agreement with the company for the deployment of 30,000 Cust2Mate shopping trolleys in the French market until the end of 2026. IR2S are responsible for installation, integration, support and maintenance of the systems.
No scanning and waiting at the checkout
The Cust2Mate systems work with computer vision. Customers simply place their purchases in the shopping trolley, the price then appears on the display and goods have been registered. Thanks to built-in scales, this also applies to items by weight. The scales are also used for control purposes. At the end of the shopping trip, customers pay directly at the trolley, which has an integrated card terminal. This eliminates waiting times at checkout.
The touchscreen gives customers access to detailed product information, such as ingredients or allergy warnings. Retailers can use the screen to draw attention to current offers. Because the system collects valuable data on shopping behaviour during the shopping process, the approach can be tailored to the individual shopper. This makes the shopping trolley an effective marketing tool for retailers.
Smart carts are trending
The market for intelligent shopping trolleys is growing. According to a study by market research company Research and Markets, it is expected to grow from 1.76 billion USD in 2023 to 2.24 billion USD this year. With an average annual growth rate of more than 27 per cent, the company forecasts annual sales of almost 10 billion USD for the systems by 2030.
