Sainsbury’s launches iPad shopping trolley

Sainsbury’s has introduced a shopping trolley with an inbuilt iPad dock in its branch in Cromwell Road in Kensington, West London, in a move to enable men to watch sport as they walk around the supermarket.

It also plans to introduce them across the UK if the trial is successful.

The trolleys come complete with a tilting iPad holder and speakers. Their front bumpers are fitted with a sensor which lets off a warning beep if an engrossed shopper gets too close to another customer, while an onboard battery with a self-charging solar panel ensures that the iPads never run out of power.

The trolleys have been developed by broadcaster Sky to highlight its Sky Go service, which allows iPad users to watch live sport or news on their portable devices.

“Being able to create a gadget that is practical yet innovative is often a challenge but I think with the trolley we’ve cracked it. The trolley can be used in the traditional way for shopping yet streams the latest sports news easily,” the Telegraph quoted Ian Burgess of Setwo Designs, who created the trolleys, as saying.

Sainsbury’s believes that there could be commercial benefit in the trolleys if they make shoppers more likely to visit a store.

Brett Hart, the supermarket’s trolley buyer, said: “We strive to make our customers’ lives simpler, which is why we’re looking at these new trolleys.”