When Will Smart Carts Make Their Way To Montana?

When Are Smart Shopping Carts Coming To Montana?

For the last year or 2, I've been reading stories here and there about "Smart Carts". Smart Carts, Caper Carts, Dash Carts allow shoppers to shop in-store and completely skip the check-out line.

How Do Smart Carts Work?

According to Amazon (who uses them in their brick and mortar grocery store locations) describes it as "Sign in. Shop. Exit"

• Check in at retailer
• Easily find desired items
• Easily track your spending
• Scan, bag and weigh your items as you shop
• Exit the store through the dash cart lane

It looks like using these new smart carts should be easy as pie. But, it leaves me with a big question.

How Can They Stop Someone From Running Out With A Cartful Of Groceries?

In theory, these carts are SUPER cool. I LOVE the idea of popping in, grabbing what I need and popping out.

I use self-checkout all the time. Yep, I'm one of THOSE people. Right now, my beloved self-checkout lanes are being knocked around by both retailers and consumers. I'm not sure how much longer we'll have them in stores. Do you know why?

Shoplifting

So, my question is, if they (the stores) can't stop shoplifters at the check stand, how can they stop someone with an entire cart full of groceries from rolling out of the store?

I get that you have to check in for the cart to be activated, but that may be an easy thing to hack, no?

All I'm saying is that every single time they come up with a way to "make shopping easier" we end up having it taken away because shoplifters are going to find a way to shoplift, no matter what you do.  Just don't get too attached if these smart carts ever make it to Montana.

Take a peek at the Dash Cart from Amazon and the Caper Cart from Instacart ⬇⬇⬇