Woolworths rolls out massive change to checkout experience in Australian first

In an Aussie-first, customers will now be able to scan their groceries directly onto a smart screen clipped onto their trolley as they wander the aisles.

Joe Attanasio
·Senior Reporter
Updated ·3-min read
A wall of trolley scanners at a new Woolworths trial in Sydney store.
Woolworths is trialling a bold new check-out scheme set to revolutionise the way Aussies pay for groceries. Source: Supplied

Woolworths is trialling a bold new check-out scheme set to revolutionise the way Aussies pay for groceries. In an Australian-first, customers will now be able to scan their groceries directly onto a smart screen clipped onto their trolley as they stroll the aisles.

The new tech effectively shifts the checkout process to the moment you pull items off the shelf. The trolley keeps a tally of all the products placed into it so customers can quickly pay on the way out.

The technology is being trialled in Woolworths' Windsor store in Sydney's north-west, before it is more broadly rolled out.

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, a Woolworths Managing Director Faye IIhan the new Scan&Go system "is market-leading innovation" that "will help customers save time and balance the budget on their supermarket shop."

The system will use the company's existing Everyday Rewards card, which allows access to the touchscreen that clips onto the new trolleys.

A shopper seen scanning a cucumber on the new Woolworths trolley.
If the trial is successful, the retail giant said it'll expand the smart carts to all Australian stores. Source: Supplied

"Scan&Go Trolley is the next evolution of Scan&Go and eliminates the need for customers to use their own mobile device to scan," IIhan told Yahoo.

"Using their Everyday Rewards card, customers unlock a tablet style device from the charging wall at the front of the store, attach it to their trolley and start shopping.

"Pending feedback from our customers, we hope to introduce Scan&Go Trolley in more of our supermarkets nationwide, along with some additional features in the coming months, including the ability to pay for their groceries on the device."

While an overwhelming majority of products on supermarket shelves have a barcode on them, the trolleys will not be able to record produce that requires weighing.

The Woolworths exec said the scheme will be rolled out to an additional nine Sydney supermarkets over the coming weeks, with the technology developed "in-house" in close "collaboration with supermarket operations".

"The original Scan&Go app was first introduced in 2018 and allows customers to scan goods with their smartphone as they walk through the store and pay in the app before tapping off at a dedicated kiosk," she said.

IIhan added the system may benefit those on a budget, with the capability for it to track spending as Aussies shop, "helping you stay within your budget and identify total savings".

A shopper uses the new Shop&Go trolley system at Woolworths.
Woolworths is trialling a bold new check-out scheme set to revolutionise the way Aussies pay for groceries. Source: Nine

The tech already exists and has proven successful in supermarkets overseas, including in the United States, where it's been branded a "self-checkout on wheels".

Woolworths says staff will conduct random checks of people shopping to make sure people don't exploit the system to steal. The company told Yahoo it won't impact employment.

One elderly Sydney shopper who trialled the new trolley on Thursday told Channel 9; "it was scary at first ... I don't like learning new things."

If the trial is successful, the retail giant said it'll expand the smart carts to all Australian stores.

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