Amazon’s newest smart device – the Dash Cart

Amazon will give in-store grocery shoppers another way to skip the checkout line.

The omnichannel giant’s latest innovation to streamline the grocery customer experience is a smart shopping cart it calls Amazon Dash Cart. Similar to the technology infrastructure supporting the Amazon Go cashierless store format, the cart uses a combination of computer vision algorithms and sensor fusion to identify items customers put in the cart. 

The Dash Carts will debut in Amazon’s new Los Angeles-area (Woodland Hills) grocery store, which is slated to open this year.  The cart is specifically designed for small- to medium-sized grocery trips and fits two grocery bags. Customers will be able shop the store’s entire grocery selection using the cart. When a cart is available, there will be a QR code in the Amazon app that will enable customers to sign in and begin using the cart. 

After that, they place bags in the cart and start shopping. Other cart features include a screen at the top where customers can access a shopping list linked to their Alexa voice assistant to check items off and view their subtotal. 

When customers add a product, they scan the barcode on the cart screen, listen for a beep and then place it in their bag. If the screen lights up orange, they remove the item and try again. For items without a barcode (such as produce), shoppers tap “add PLU item” on the screen, type in the PLU number, add to their bag and confirm product weight on the screen.

In addition, every cart is equipped with a coupon scanner where customers can apply store coupons as they shop. When customers exit through the store’s Amazon Dash Cart lane, sensors automatically identify the cart, and their payment is processed using the credit card associated with their Amazon account. A store associate can provide assistance with checkout if needed and a receipt is automatically emailed.