Yohananof Supermarket Chain Revolutionizes Stores With Smart Carts
The Israeli supermarket chain Yohananof is implementing a significant technological upgrade across its stores by adopting the fourth generation of smart shopping carts from the company Cust2Mate. This initiative will see approximately 4,000 smart carts deployed, designed to allow customers to scan items as they shop, track prices and discounts, and complete their payment without using traditional checkout lines. The rollout has already begun in two branches: 100 carts have been introduced at the Segula branch in Petah Tikva, and 150 at the Centero branch in Rehovot. According to reports, the integration is set to expand to an additional 27 stores starting in October, with a planned pace of three new branches per week, aiming for a full deployment of around 4,000 carts throughout the chain.
The system, based on the ShopMate unit, attaches to a standard shopping cart and centralizes the shopping process. Customers can log into loyalty programs, load shopping lists, access coupon and promotion information, scan products, and view a real-time summary of items, prices, discounts, and the total cost on the cart's screen. Upon completion, customers can scan a QR code displayed on the cart's screen to finalize payment at a designated payment station. The carts also feature systems to identify discrepancies between scanned items and those physically placed in the cart. Yohananof states that this new generation integrates barcode scanning, security scales, cameras, Computer Vision, and AI.
If an item is placed in the cart without being scanned, the system can display its image and guide the customer to correct the issue. In other cases, the information can be relayed to store staff for verification. Yohananof emphasizes that the move aims to create a more seamless shopping experience, reduce waiting times and congestion at checkout areas, and provide customers with real-time information and control over their purchases. For the company, the smart carts are also intended to alleviate checkout bottlenecks, optimize staff utilization, and enhance security and loss prevention measures.