Digital shopping carts facilitate customer navigation while shopping

REWE digital Research & Innovation has joined forces with tech firm Catch to trial a smart personal assistant for shoppers in Cologne, Germany. In this innovative project, tablets are attached to shopping carts; the tablets help shoppers search for products and navigate the store, and they also make personalised product suggestions. The aim is to offer a new, more individualised shopping experience in brick-and-mortar supermarkets.

Israel-based Catch Retail, Inc. develops AI technology innovations in personalised retail media.

Shopping behaviour in supermarkets is as diverse as society itself. Some shoppers want inspiration, some like to be guided through the store, while others single-mindedly focus on their weekly shopping lists. This is where the Catch pilot project comes in. At the REWE Center in Cologne-Bickendorf, special, intuitively designed tablets have now been attached to some shopping carts for use by customers. The technology behind the project is based on artificial intelligence and is intended to support customers as they shop. Catch thereby learns how shoppers navigate the store, without permanently storing any personal data. The system uses the data to predict the route being taken through the store and suggests suitable products to the customer in real time.

Digital shopping lists

And that’s not all. The camera on the back of the tablet can be used to scan barcodes, digital shopping lists and even shoppers’ own handwritten shopping lists. The Catch system recognises the customers’ lists and handwriting and automatically guides them to their desired product locations. Along the way, it suggests nearby discounted products or special offers that may complement the customer’s other purchases.

We already have a good understanding of what our customers want and of their shopping habits, and we can manage product ranges accordingly. However, with this pilot project, we want to go one step further in order to gain even more insights and provide even better customer service. Our dedicated store employees will continue to be on hand to provide assistance. However, a service like Catch can give customers extra support while they shop, explains retailer Boris Dugandzic, who manages the REWE Center along with his brother.