French grocery retailer Franprix has partnered with retail technology firm Cust2Mate to deploy smart shopping carts in several of its stores in Paris.

The smart carts have a clip-on panel providing an all-in-one service for customers. Using AI technology, the cart self-scans products and takes payment for goods.

Cust2Mate said that the carts combine a physical shopping experience with the advantages of online shopping. Customers are given personalised product recommendations, similar to those that they are offered when shopping online.

The company added that the technology has the potential to increase the amount of products purchased, improve consumer satisfaction, and speed up the checkout process.

The launch is part of a wider agreement Cust2Mate has with IR2S, a provider of retail technologies, to deploy 30,000 smart carts before 2026 across retail chains in France.

The carts, launched earlier this week, gave customers in Paris the chance to use the shopping carts for the first time.

Franprix operates over 600 stores in France and aims to roll out the service to other stores in the coming months.

"The enthusiasm and positive feedback we received from our customers yesterday show that they are eager to embrace new technologies that enhance the shopping experience," said Tahar Ben Abdlkader, store manager of the Franprix branch in Paris, 17th quarter. "We are thrilled to be the first Franprix location to deploy Cust2Mate's smart carts and look forward to continuing to revolutionize the way our customers shop.”

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