What stops people from not scanning this or that item and effectively
stealing it?
On Wednesday, February 13, 2002, at 06:13 AM, James Governor wrote:
>
> FWIW: Safeway in the UK (a different org from the US Safeway) ran a
> trial with customers that were already members of its existing loyalty
> scheme.
>
> These customers would use Palm Pilot and scan the items they selected as
> they shopped. When they were done they could jump the queue, and the
> final payment was based on what was in the palm, rather than what was in
> the basket itself.
>
> Not sure what the end results were, but the fact it wasn't rolled out
> more widely indicates there were problems with the scheme. Haven't
> looked at this closely recently. The last posting was in 1999 though
> (see below, from www.safeway.co.uk), so perhaps all this petered out.
>
> I am pretty sure Mike Winch, then CIO, left the firm in 99/00 timeframe.
> Maybe the projects died when he left - he coulda been the sponsor
>
> Easi-Order [01/02/99]
> Safeway and IBM 'Easi-Order' shopping service goes live!
>
>
> Customers will today begin using Safeway's revolutionary 'Easi-Order'
> portable shopping devices, which allow shoppers to pre-select their
> weekly groceries anytime, anywhere. Developed with IBM, this innovative
> personalised service aims to make on-line shopping even easier.
>
> Safeway has received hundreds of enquiries from customers interested in
> participating in this exciting new pilot. To begin with Safeway is
> inviting 200 regular users of its Basingstoke superstore's Collect & Go
> home ordering service. In the coming weeks, each of these participants
> will receive individual training on operating their Easi-Order unit
> during a phased roll-out.=20
>
> This pioneering IBM technology - the first of its kind in the world -
> enables Safeway to download into the units personalised grocery lists
> compiled from past purchases made using ABC loyalty cards. This
> 'intelligent' software makes suggestions about purchases as well as
> sending customers individual promotions and new product details.
>
> When the Easi-Order is connected to a phone line, it links to a central
> computer and the order is sent to the store. The store staff pick and
> pack the groceries ready for collection on the day and time specified by
> the customer.
> Safeway can already adapt this leading-edge technology - unmatched by
> any other UK retailer - to other hand-held personal computers on the
> market and in the longer term could make it available through digital
> TVs and mobile phones.
> Easi-Order units are PalmPilots specially designed for Safeway. They are
> fitted with bar code readers which, in the future, will allow customers
> to self-scan the products themselves at home or in-store, including
> those sold by competitors. They also double up as fully-functional
> personal organisers.
>
> Mike Winch, Safeway's IT Director comments: "We were the first UK
> retailer to introduce self-scanning in 1995 through our Shop & Go system
> and now over 20% of our customers use it regularly. The Easi-Order
> device is a natural extension to the existing Shop & Go and Collect & Go
> home ordering services already regularly used by many of our customers."
>
>
> "Most of our customers don't have access to the internet so we wanted to
> develop a remote ordering service that was simple and easy for everyone
> to use."
> "Safeway has long been at the fore of deploying new technologies to
> provide its customers with the best service possible, " says Noel Rees,
> IBM Retail Industry Director. "This IBM pervasive computer solution
> combines the power of network computing with convenient easy-to-use
> hand-held devices."
> A selection of Safeway's customers will today receive training on how to
> use their Easi-Order unit at the Basingstoke store and will be able to
> take them home. Over the coming weeks they will be asked to feedback on
> their usage of the devices so that Safeway and IBM can continue to
> improve the service.=20
>
>
>
> Notes to Editors:
>
> 1. Photographs of the Easi-Order unit are available
> 2. Shop & Go:- Safeway, the world leader in self scanning, launched Shop
> & Go in March 1995. It is now available in 160 stores across the UK.
> Customers use hand- held scanners to keep a running total of the amount
> they spend as they move through the store and check individual prices.
> Shopping is loaded straight into plastic green boxes on special
> trolleys. Payments are made at dedicated checkouts, and the green boxes
> packed directly into cars, avoiding the unloading and reloading of
> trolleys. Certain Safeway stores also boast Easi-Pay terminals which let
> customers bypass the 'checkout' altogether.
> 3. Collect & Go: Launched in April 1997, this order from home service
> provides ABC loyalty card customers with personalised shopping lists
> drawn from past purchases. Orders are placed by telephone or fax. Store
> staff select and pack the goods ready for collection at the time/day
> specified by the customer. Collect & Go is available at Basingstoke
> store.
>
>
>
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Received on Wed Feb 13 08:03:09 2002