BL Premium reports that retailer Shoprite says its new smart trolley pilot project in Cape Town will not put the jobs of any employees at risk. The Xpress Trolley enables customers to scan items as they shop, track a running total and pay directly via the cart without having to queue at a till.
The trolleys are being tested at Checkers Hyper Brackenfell and Checkers Constantia. Shoprite says the project is about enhancing convenience, not cutting staff. “No employees or positions are adversely impacted by this pilot,” the group said, emphasising the innovation might instead create new roles such as concierge assistants, checkout support staff, age-verification employees, additional security personnel and central tech and data specialists. While smart trolleys have been rolled out in some international supermarkets, this is the first time they’re being trialled locally.
MP9 Asset Management CIO Aheesh Singh said the trolleys could be a game changer, but flagged the risk that as more of this kind of technology was introduced, supermarkets might need fewer staff at the tills, which could affect jobs over time. “If it works, it has the potential to change how South Africans shop, but it will need to balance innovation with the realities of cost, adoption, and employment,” Singh noted.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nompilo Goba at BusinessLive
- Lees ook, Loon van R6,000 per maand by Shoprite: ‘Dis wettig, maar nie leefbaar’, by Netwerk24 (toegang slegs vir intekenare)
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