Whether at home, at work or even on the move, customers can simply select their choice of groceries, choose what day and time they would like to pick up their shopping and them attach the device to a telephone line. Once the order is retrieved the goods are collated and packed ready for collection. Safeway and IBM teams have been researching this leading edge concept in the US for the past year. The project has been developed using the skills of many of IBM 's top researchers, who have applied their expertise in data-mining techniques, user interface technologies, Java and Web programming. With the help of IBM 's research, Safeway can now offer greater convenience to its customers with the Easi-Order pervasive computing solution.
Technical brief follows where applicable.
Photographs of the Easi-Order unit are available. Customers use hand-held scanners to keep a running total of the amount they spend as they move through the store and check individual prices. Shopping is loaded straight into plastic green boxes on special trolleys. Payments are made at dedicated checkouts, and the green boxes packed directly into cars, avoiding the unloading and reloading of trolleys. Certain Safeway stores also boast Easi-Pay terminals which let customers bypass the 'checkout' altogether.