Italian Grocer Deploys ‘Scan and Bag’-Style Technology

As part of its renovation, the Conad supermarket of San Benedetto del Tronto -- one of more than 330 Conad Adriatico stores in Italy – added a self-shopping service that allows customers to scan their own items as they shop the store.

The service is similar to Stop & Shop’s Scan N’ Bag service, using a scanner, called the Joya pod, from Eugene, Ore.-based Datalogic. Eighty-four Joya pods are available for customers to help them shop. To use, the shopper simply points Joya pod at the product barcode and click on a button to make the price of the product appear on the display, along with the shopping total and complete list of products already scanned and packed in the shopping bags. When shopping is done, instead of waiting in line at the checkout counter, the shopper can go directly to the reserved self-payment machines.

Conad Adriatico is using Datalogic’s Shopevolution 6.0 technology to support the Joya pod. This multi-platform middleware (which supports all major databases and operating systems, according to Datalogic) adds new functions to self-scanning, such as push and pull marketing, one to one communication and digital signage.

Datalogic ADC provides solutions for fixed position retail scanners, handheld scanners and mobile computers. Its range of products includes in-counter and on-counter point of sale scanners, general purpose and ruggedized handheld scanners, rugged mobile computers, industrial PDAs and vehicle mount computers. Solutions for applications in several sectors include healthcare, hospitality/entertainment, manufacturing, retail, services and transportation and logistics.