Grocery Retailers Test RFID-enabled Shopping Carts

"Our software is Web-centric and therefore does not require hosting locally at the store level," he says. "We have developed and deployed successfully a Web application that is designed to reduce the cost of implementation and provide real-time data through our data centers." With this software, he says, any authorized party is permitted to access the data.

The system can be configured to allow the retrieval company to locate missing carts and trigger a wheel lock when it gets a specified distance from the store, such as 1 mile. In addition, the system can be used by a store to track shopping behavior and determine how long the wait is at a deli counter or other specific service areas, how long a shopper looks through items on a specific aisle, and when the number of shoppers in a store has reached a point where more checkout stands must be opened.

Michael Lucas, Intelligentz CEO

For in-store tracking, Flores says, RFID antennas are mounted every 6 feet on both sides of the aisles, with the positions staggered so that no antennas directly face each other. This way, he says, as the shopping cart tag transmits a signal, the antennas can pinpoint exactly where the cart is within a matter of inches.

"This system can provide business intelligence and improve customer service," says Intelligentz' CEO and president, Michael Lucas.

He says the system is being piloted at several grocery stores within the United States, in conjunction with CSCRC. There has also been interest in Latin America and Europe, Flores says. The grocery pilot, which involves tracking carts both inside and outside the stores, will be completed Jan. 15, according to Lucas, who would not state a specific price for the product until testing was complete.