Albertsons tests handheld grocery scanners

Albertsons Inc. in Dallas will test handheld scanners that let shoppers keep a running tally of their purchases.

Company executives say the technology will make shopping quicker and more convenient. They say shoppers have mastered self-checkout lanes and are ready for higher technology.

The Associated Press

http://www.magicvalley.com/news/business/index.asp?StoryID=4797

Albertsons, the No. 2 U.S. grocer, says it will install the devices in all 103 Dallas-area stores by mid-April. It is the first U.S. grocery chain to use the technology, according to NCR Corp., one of its partners in the deal.

Shoppers need an Albertsons card to check out a scanner when they enter the store. They can scan items and put them in shopping bags in their cart. Items can be deleted and put back on the shelves.

Some items, such as beer, wine and cigarettes, can’t be scanned and must go through the regular checkout process.

At the checkout counter, shoppers point the scanner at an "end of trip" bar code at the register and pull the trigger, which prints a receipt. They pay and return the scanner.

Boise-based Albertsons, which also has Magic Valley stores, will test the new technology in a big market where it was the top grocery chain until being surpassed last year by Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

"Dallas is the most competitive market in the U.S., and we’re committed to giving our customers the best shopping experience," Judy Spires, a regional president for Albertsons, told The Dallas Morning News.

Albertsons also is adding scales in the produce department that generate labels after shoppers weigh fruits and vegetables and punch in a code. A similar system is already used by other stores.

At grocery stores with self-checkout, about half use it once a month and one-fourth use it at least once a week, according to the Food Marketing Institute.

"It works out great when you’re on a budget," said Maria Gutierrez of Dallas as she shopped at a local Albertsons last week. "I know how much I’m spending."

Spires, the company official, said cheating by shoppers hasn’t been a problem. People who check out the scanners agree to random checks.