Markets rolling out smart carts for trial run

CHICAGO — Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?

Supermarkets are trying out new computers that make grocery carts more intelligent. They won't take over your trip to the store, as HAL took over the mission in "2001: A Space Odyssey." But they will help shoppers find lemon cake mix or light bulbs, let them order ahead to avoid the deli line and keep a running tally of the bill.

The touch-screen devices are on display at the Food Marketing Institute's convention here this week.

"It's the utility of being able to create value and get you around the store quicker," said Michael Alexandor, spokesman for Springboard Retail Networks Inc., which makes a smart cart computer called the Concierge.

Canadian stores will test the Concierge in June and July. A competing device, IBM's "shopping buddy," has been test-marketed at Stop & Shop stores in Massachusetts and is being rolled out this summer.

Neither device tells you how many fat grams or calories are in your cart, but they will flash you with items on sale. The idea is to make it easier for consumers to buy, not to induce second thoughts that maybe you should put something back on the shelf.

"The whole model is driven by advertisers' need to get in front of consumers," said Alexandor. "They're not watching 30-second TV ads anymore."

People can use a home computer to make their shopping lists. Once at the store, a shopper can use a preferred customer card, or a key that fits on a keychain, to log into a system that will organize the trip through the aisles.

If you're looking for toothpicks, you type in the word or pick it from a list, and the screen will display a map showing where you are and where you can find them.

The Concierge and IBM's cart are equipped with a miniature equivalent of GPS, the global positioning satellite system. Sensors can track the devices to see right where your cart is, so that as you turn into an aisle, the screen can show what's there and which items are on sale.

The systems also keep a running tally of what you buy. Many stores do so already by signing shoppers up for preferred customer cards. What's new is that the store can offer special discounts based on your buying habits or tell you while you're in the store that one of your favorite products is on sale.