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Checkers Rolls Out SA’s First Smart Trolley: Is This the Future of Grocery Shopping?
Grocery shopping in South Africa just got a futuristic upgrade. Checkers has officially launched the country’s first scan-and-go smart trolley, a sleek innovation that allows shoppers to skip queues, scan items as they go, and pay directly from the cart. Dubbed the Xpress Trolley, this pilot project is rolling out at Checkers Hyper Brackenfell and Checkers Constantia, giving Cape Town shoppers the first taste of what could be a nationwide retail shake-up.
Shopping made smarter
The Xpress Trolley is more than just a cart. Fitted with a digital screen, it allows customers to:
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Scan barcodes and bag items as they shop
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Keep a running tally of purchases in real time
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Access personalised deals via their Xtra Savings card
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Get in-store navigation to quickly find products
Payment is processed right from the trolley, linked to a Checkers Sixty60 profile, making checkout lanes almost redundant.
Why now?
The launch comes at a time when South Africans are increasingly frustrated with long queues and rising food costs. The Shoprite Group’s Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Neil Schreuder, says the Xpress Trolley reimagines grocery shopping into a “frictionless journey from entry to exit.”
By removing some of the typical pain points of shopping long waits, impulse overspending, and missed specials Checkers is betting big on technology to win loyalty in a competitive grocery market.
A nod to global retail trends
Internationally, smart carts have already made waves in markets like the US and Europe, with Amazon’s Dash Cart leading the way. Checkers is the first major retailer to bring this concept to South Africa, showing a willingness to experiment with global retail innovations on local soil.
What happens next?
For now, the rollout is limited just 20 trolleys between two Cape Town stores. But if the trial succeeds, it’s likely we’ll see Xpress Trolleys spreading across major Checkers stores nationwide.
For everyday South Africans, this could mean a future where grocery shopping is faster, more efficient, and even more personalised. And while it won’t fix the rising price of bread or milk, at least it might make the weekly shop a little less stressful.
Source: IOL
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