End of the checkout lane? Smart grocery carts could weigh your apples, tally your bill

Grocery items in a shopping cart at a store in San Francisco, California, US. Smart carts are just the latest checkout innovation brought to grocery stores since the 1970s. — Bloomberg

The latest innovation in grocery store technology – one meant to ease customer checkout and reduce face-to-face contact amid the continuing pandemic – debuted recently at a store outside Boise, Idaho.

Albertsons Companies is testing grocery carts outfitted with cameras, sensors and a scale to scan groceries, including canned goods, boxes, meat and produce, as customers shop and place items in their carts.