Amazon is making its Dash Cart smart shopping trolley technology available to third-party retailers.

“In larger grocery stores, where customers are making a big weekly trip and buy a greater number of items, customers so far prefer Amazon Dash Cart, our smart shopping cart, which uses the same advanced, computer vision technology as Just Walk Out,” said Amazon vice president Dilip Kumar in a blog post (www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-just-walk-out-dash-cart-grocery-shopping-checkout-stores). “In these larger stores, along with skipping the line at checkout, Dash Cart serves as a shopping companion that travels through the store with a customer, helping them locate items with an on-cart screen featuring maps and navigation, and receive personalised shopping experiences, all while tracking their savings and spending in real time.”

In grocery and large-format stores where the number of items purchased and total spend is often higher than in smaller locations, shoppers say a running tally of purchases is more important to them.

“Customers want to manage their budget during their shopping journeys, in real time, including the ability to weigh produce and understand cost, before they check out,” said Kumar. “That’s where Dash Cart comes in. When it comes to groceries, shoppers tend to need a lot of them, and a cart to put them in, while also minding the family budget.”

To use Dash Cart, customers sign in and start shopping, scanning and weighing items as they go, so they can understand the cost of each purchase. The Dash Cart uses a combination of computer vision algorithms and sensor fusion to help identify items placed in and removed from the cart. The Dash Cart’s screen shows a real-time receipt of all items that have been placed in the trolley.

When they are ready to check out, they can skip the checkout queue and exit the store through the Dash Cart lane, and a receipt is instantly emailed to them.

“Grocers like Dash Cart, too,” said Kumar. “With a better ability to monitor their budget, recommendations on new items and deals in the store, and access to shopping lists and item location, shopping is more convenient for customers using the Dash Cart.”

Dash Cart shoppers spend ten per cent more than non-Dash Cart shoppers at Amazon Fresh stores, and over 80% of daily Dash Cart transactions are from repeat users thanks to its 98% customer satisfaction rating.

“In fact, our research shows that people will drive further to a store if it offers Dash Cart,” said Kumar.

Dash Carts are available at select Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh stores, and will soon be available at all US Amazon Fresh stores and select third-party grocery stores.

“We’re also excited for what we have planned for future iterations of Dash Cart, which will make shopping even more intuitive and as familiar as using a traditional shopping cart,” said Kumar.