The UK has had hand-held scanners for years. I suspect the reason they have not been put in the shopping trolleys themselves is that trolleys go outdoors (electronics not good in rain and weatherproofing them would be disproportionately expensive for limited benefit), and trolleys also tend to mysteriously go AWOL. Plus people also use baskets. The number of trolleys and baskets per store is far in excess of the number of hand-held scanners needed.
I scan each item as I go around the shop, can see my purchase listed and total cost at any time, can remove items I’ve already scanned and to check out I scan a barcode at the self-service till and then pay. I really don’t see how ‘just walk out’ offers sufficiently more ‘convenience’ to justify trying to make it work given what hand-held scanners already offer.
And UK supermarkets live in one of the most competitive and experienced grocery store markets around. They are (largely) good at this stuff. Amazon should take note and not try reinventing a wheel that just isn’t going to be much more perfectly round than the ones already rolling.
