Sam’s Club Tests Checkout-Free Shopping: Convenience or Cause for Concern?

Walmart owned Sams Club is actively testing a checkout-free shopping experience for their customers. The membership-based grocery store plans on implementing artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce its reliance on the traditional shopping and checkout process.

The new checkout systems will be scanning customers’ carts to verify purchases without the need for any checkout lines, which even includes self-checkout lanes. This new system will work in tandem with Sam’s Club’s “Scan & Go” app, which allows members to scan items as they shop and pay directly through their phones.

The new AI-powered scanning technology will reportedly add one more layer of verification on a customer’s cart as they exit the store. This will ensure any item is accurately paid for before they leave.

The convenience is obviously a major plus since if implemented correctly, customers don’t have to wait around in long checkout lines, but skepticism and questions remain very high.

Firstly, how will automatic checkout affect spending habits? Will customers spend more at the store? Will they be compulsively spending money on items they do not need just because it’s convenient?

Secondly, will Walmart be invading our privacy and collecting data on shopping habits? We are not aware yet how much information will be collected on members while in the store. The idea is currently speculation, but data would be a goldmine for advertising agencies to push products you might not need or want.

Just like anything else tech and AI related, the tech feels promising, but what is the cost?