British supermarket chain tests iPad-ready shopping carts
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Want a side of Apple with your supermarket runs?
British grocery store chain Sainsbury’s is testing out new shopping carts with solar-powered iPad docks and speakers (iPads not included).
The trial, first rolled out at a Sainsbury’s location in Kensington, West London, will allow customers to watch live sports and sports-related news after docking their tablets to holders affixed to their shopping trolleys, the Telegraph reports. A built-in battery with a self-charging solar panel keeps the tablets from running out of power, and a sensor on the front bumper will beep if an engrossed shopper gets close to crashing into another cart.
The carts have been developed by broadcaster Sky TV to shine a light on its Sky Go service, which serves up television on the go on Apple devices (an Android app is reportedly coming soon).
Sainsbury’s said in a statement that the shopping carts, which may be rolled out to other stores in Britain if successful, could convince more shoppers to patronize a store.
‘We strive to make our customers’ lives simpler, which is why we’re looking at these new trolleys,’ said Brett Hart, the supermarket chain’s shopping cart buyer.
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