A2Z Cust2Mate Solutions (NASDAQ: AZ) is working to restore visibility into shopper behavior within physical retail stores through its innovative smart cart technology, as highlighted in a recent industry article. According to the company's Chief Marketing Officer, Yaniv Zukerman, retailers have become highly proficient at tracking transactions, pricing, and inventory but have steadily lost visibility into how shoppers actually behave inside the store. Most existing systems capture only end results, such as what was purchased and when, leaving the entire in-aisle journey largely invisible. This disconnect creates a growing gap between how well retailers believe they understand their customers and how little they truly know about the decisions, hesitations, and trade-offs that shape each shopping trip.
Zukerman points to technology as a way to close that gap by turning the shopping cart into a continuous, consent-based engagement and insight touchpoint. By capturing real-time basket activity, showing running totals, and delivering relevant offers during the trip, smart carts can reduce friction for shoppers while giving retailers a clearer view of movement, decision-making, and behavior at scale. This visibility enables retailers to design layouts, promotions, and experiences based on how customers actually shop, rather than relying solely on aggregated transaction data after the fact. The full article detailing this perspective is available at https://ibn.fm/e1wWz.
The company's flagship smart cart solutions are designed to transform brick-and-mortar retail by bridging online and in-store shopping through interactive technology that guides and informs customers. A2Z's AI-driven smart carts personalize every in-store journey, turning routine trips into engaging, rewarding experiences. They enable seamless in-cart scanning and payment, allowing shoppers to bypass checkout lines while receiving real-time customized offers and product recommendations. This enhanced customer experience aims to boost satisfaction and loyalty while helping retailers streamline operations and optimize merchandising through data-driven insights.
Equipped with multiple layers of security for accurate recognition and transaction integrity, the carts feature modular, all-in-one detachable panels that transform legacy shopping cart fleets into intelligent platforms. This approach allows retailers to upgrade existing infrastructure rather than replace entire fleets, potentially lowering adoption barriers. The technology's ability to capture granular, real-time data on shopper behavior—such as dwell times, product interactions, and path deviations—provides a level of insight previously unavailable in physical retail environments.
For the retail industry, this development represents a significant step toward closing the data gap between online and offline shopping experiences. Online retailers have long benefited from detailed analytics on customer journeys, while physical stores have largely operated with limited visibility into the moments leading to purchase decisions. A2Z's technology could enable brick-and-mortar retailers to make more informed decisions about store layouts, product placement, and promotional strategies based on actual shopper behavior rather than assumptions or post-transaction analysis.
The implications extend beyond operational efficiency to potentially reshape the competitive landscape of retail. As consumers increasingly expect personalized, seamless experiences across channels, retailers who can integrate in-store behavior data with existing customer profiles may gain significant advantages in customer retention and sales optimization. The consent-based nature of the data collection, as emphasized by Zukerman, also addresses growing consumer privacy concerns while still enabling valuable insights. For shoppers, the technology promises reduced checkout wait times and more relevant in-the-moment offers, potentially making physical shopping more convenient and rewarding.
Forward-looking statements in the source material note that actual results may differ due to various factors beyond management's control, including risks detailed in the company's SEC filings. The full terms of use and disclaimers applicable to the content are available at http://IBN.fm/Disclaimer. As retail continues to evolve in response to digital transformation, technologies like A2Z's smart carts represent one approach to bringing data-driven intelligence to the physical shopping experience while maintaining the tactile advantages of in-store retail.
