One of Mexico’s leading grocery chains, operating more than 250 stores, has started a pilot programme for Israeli company A2Z Smart Technologies’ Cust2Mate smart shopping trollies.

The 60-day pilot programme will employ twenty smart carts at one of the chain’s flagship stores in Mexico. A successful pilot will lead to the launching the smart carts at the retailer’s premium branches.

“We are pleased to have this opportunity to engage one of the premier grocery retailers in Mexico, well known for their innovative approach and embrace of new technologies,” said Ben Tsur Joseph, CEO of A2Z.

The self-checkout shopping cart uses technology that automatically scans purchased items and enables in-cart payment so shoppers may bypass long checkout queues. It also uses anti-fraud technology.

“With our technology, retail grocers can also direct shoppers to discounted products, in-store promotions and other offers to efficiently move inventory from the shelves into carts,” said Joseph. “We’re excited to launch this pilot at one of the retailer’s flagship stores in Mexico before the close of 2021. Seeing is believing and we look forward to the successful completion of this pilot and the launch of our state-of-the-art Cust2Mate smart cart, into over 20 additional locations.”

A representative from the retailer added: “We look forward to exploring the benefits of Cust2Mate smart carts, which we believe will enhance the shopping experience for our customers and also improve our ability to move inventory and streamline our operational capabilities. Our goal as a retailer is to embrace the state-of-the-art technology that will make shopping easier and more enjoyable for our customers and we’re excited to launch this Cust2Mate smart cart pilot so that we may experience the real-time capabilities of the smart carts’ sophisticated yet accessible technology.”

With its user-friendly smart algorithm, touch screen, and computer-vision system, Cust2Mate streamlines the retail shopping experience by automatically scanning purchased products and enabling in-cart payment so shoppers can simply pick and go, and bypass long cashier checkout queues. This results in a more efficient shopping experience, less unused shelf-space and staffing requirements, and command and control capabilities for store managers. The SaaS-based software also provides shelf heatmaps for targeted advertising, direct marketing and promotions.

Additional A2Z products include automotive fire prevention systems, bomb-defusing robots and portable energy systems.