Shoprite Group launches innovative Xpress Trolley, transforming the future of in-store shopping

At Checkers Hyper in Brackenfell, Western Cape, trolleys glint under fluorescent lights like turquoise cattle. To the left of the entrance sits a smaller herd of impostors with screens bolted to their frames. 

This is the Xpress Trolley, South Africa’s first smart cart, which has stirred up national curiosity since its launch last week. 

Neil Schreuder, Chief Strategy and Innovation officer at Shoprite Group, said the pilot allowed them “to reimagine the in-store journey using technology for a more frictionless shopping experience”. It’s a machine built to change the way people shop, signalling where Checkers, and the retail industry, intends to steer next.  

Business behind the basket 

The Xpress Trolley plugs into Shoprite’s bigger play where stores, apps and customer data all fuse into a single retail web. 

“The traditional supermarket experience is you’re on your own,” says Jonathan Cherry, founder of strategic foresight and innovation consultancy, Cherryflava. “You find out what you’re going to pay when you get to the till. This is about bringing some kind of transparency, not only to what’s in store, but also in your trolley.” 

Read more: After the Bell: Shopping sucks, but SA is stitching a comeback

The same tech that frees shoppers from checkout queues could turbocharge Checkers Sixty60’s pickers. Faster order fulfilments mean faster deliveries — and loyal customers. 

Aheesh Singh, Chief Investment Officer at MP9 Asset Management, sees competition on the horizon. 

“If it works at Checkers, it puts pressure on competitors to accelerate their own self-service solutions. Shoprite has already implemented self-checkout in its Uniq clothing stores, giving it an early mover advantage in South Africa. The trolley is the logical next step in that evolution.” 

How it rolls  

Customers scan their Xtra Savings card to log in and scan items before placing them inside the cart. 

The trolley’s screen displays a running total, product information, and promotions. Once done, payment happens directly from the trolley using a bank card stored on the Sixty60 profile, and a printed slip allows the customer to exit through a gated lane, with concierge staff on hand. 

The screen also offers in-store navigation, guiding customers to products without the need for wandering. Cherry sees this as an “interesting innovation” for shoppers unfamiliar with the store’s layout. 

“No employees or positions are adversely impacted by this pilot,” Shoprite told Daily Maverick. The company says the project creates new jobs such as concierges, security, age-verifiers (for alcohol purchases), and back-end tech roles. 

The trial is under way at Checkers Hyper Brackenfell and Checkers Constantia. Staff have been running early tests to smooth out glitches, with public access expected in the next week or two, a Brackenfell employee confirmed. 

Global lessons  

Smart checkout has tripped up some of the world’s biggest retailers.  Amazon’s Just Walk Out model promised the holy grail: pick up what you want and simply leave, the bill handled invisibly. 

Weighing produce proved a nightmare and the supposedly AI-driven tech leaned on a thousand workers in India to audit baskets, CNN and CNBC reported. The company has since pulled Just Walk Out from its stores, swapping it for Dash Carts that require shoppers to scan items, much like Checkers’ model. 

Read more: The Finance Ghost: Shoprite still the checkout champion in retail wars

Across Europe, smart trolleys and self-checkouts are common, but so are losses. Research by ECR Retail Loss linked self-checkout to nearly a quarter of unknown store shrinkage.

Checkers says safeguards are in place. The trolleys use weight sensors, scales and cameras to keep track of items, with controllers flagged if anything doesn’t add up before payment. Shoppers exit through a dedicated lane and the carts never leave the stores. 

The commerce of comfort 

The real power of the Xpress Trolley is the data it collects. Each scan reveals how shoppers move, what catches their eye, and how promotions change spending. This intelligence feeds into smarter promotions, stock planning and cashflow. 

Read more: Logos on desks and screens on bikes — how far can advertising be pushed?

Cherry says that it could benefit ShopriteX, the group’s tech arm that also connects brands to customers. 

“If you think about big food companies or cosmetic companies, they would pay a premium to get in front of a customer first. Until now, they’ve been able to do that online. What this allows is for them to potentially buy that in an offline setting.” 

Read more: From Checkers to the Springboks: SA’s unique branding journey toward global influence

As the trolley integrates with the Xtra Savings programme, no personal or payment details are stored on the trolley, Shoprite says. 

Singh added that these data insights helped refine product mixes, cut excess stock and lifted margins. 

“In short, the trolley is as much about building a smarter, more profitable business as it is about convenience,” he said. 

Where the trolley rolls next 

Like any tech rollout, this trolley carries risk. 

“Each trolley is expensive and fragile. A cracked screen, faulty scanner, or broken wheel could impact the customer experience,” Singh warned. 

Culturally, there was also a shift to overcome. Local shoppers were used to packers and human interaction. 

“Supermarket culture is quite gesellig (sociable),” Cherry said, though he believed even older customers would adapt quickly if it saved time or money. 

He pointed to Starbucks, which eased off self-service when customers indicated they preferred staff interaction. In his view, traditional shopping will stay, with self-checkout as an added layer for those who want it. 

Read more: Only SA’s wealthiest consumers haven’t changed their buying habits

If the pilot proves itself, expect the fleet to spread across more Checkers stores. Schreuder calls it “an exciting opportunity”, while Singh believes this technology will become standard over time. 

https://tally.so/r/n9krEX

“There’s a great opportunity to reinvent the in-store experience so that it becomes almost gamified,” Cherry said, noting how Temu’s app has clicked with South Africans. 

Whether shoppers love it or loathe it, the outcome will shape how South African retail balances the tug-of-war between speed, security and the human touch. DM

Click here to read more Business Maverick articles.