U-Scan could be your new shopping pal
Klever device guides buyers through store
The buddy will even provide health tips, news of the day and the weather forecast.
What's more, it's only slightly larger than a paperback novel.
Sound clever? Actually, it's Klever — as in Salt Lake-based Klever Marketing — along with Fujitsu, partners who have developed an electronic device mounted to a shopping cart to make a customer's experience smoother, faster and more efficient.
Its developers envision a day — perhaps only months away — when shoppers gladly walk down the aisle, married to what seems today like whiz-bang technology jam-packed with useful information and tools.
"The idea is trying to, in the easiest way possible, get information in the customers' hands, because if they have information, they'll make good buying decisions," said Vernon Slack, director of marketing for the Mobile Solutions Group of Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc.
Techno-shopping
Called the U-Scan Shopper, the battery-powered device uses wireless communication and infrared triggers throughout the store in ways designed to be beneficial to the customer, the retailer and product makers.
Back to your imagination. Say you walk into a store and grab a U-Scan Shopper-equipped cart. Your store loyalty card can help the device recall your shopping history and remind you, as you stroll by the dairy case, that you might need eggs. After all, you last bought them here two weeks ago.
The screen can show the store's specials, and you can check the boxes beside the items you want. The device will show you which aisle contains the Froot Loops and even remind you to nab some cookies while you're in the snack-food aisle.
Not sure what to whip up for dinner? Meal ideas and recipes — with nutritional details — can be shown, and ingredient lists can be marked to add those essentials to the shopping list. Recipes can be e-mailed home or printed at checkout.
Scan a Kleenex box's bar code with the device to check its price. Check a running total of your collected goods, ensuring you remain within your budget.
Checking out can be a breeze. Fujitsu already has the U-Scan brand on self-checkout stands that have become commonplace, and the U-Scan Shopper will allow the purchase to happen quickly, with a cashier needed only to audit what's in the cart — no rescanning is necessary — and handling the tender at specially designated aisles.
Recent comments
hi
this is amazing device.
i am a shopkeeper,could you please...
ankush | Oct. 23, 2007 at 6:42 a.m.
