Brewed Fresh Daily

That's why Stop & Shop's experiment with Cuesol is so interesting. Cuesol makes a system that ties into the "loyalty" data that stores collect when shoppers use their discount cards. Currently most stores use that data to track sales, manage their inventory, and generate targeted coupons. Cuesol takes it a step further. Cuesol's Cart Companion gives customers access to their data when they enter a store: They pick up this tabletlike wireless computer, which snaps onto a shopping cart, and swipe their discount card through it, bringing up a list of the items they purchase habitually and a locator map showing them where in the store to find their groceries. The Cart Companion not only acts as a shopping list but also flags related items that the shopper may not have thought of (such as, say, buns and mustard if you're buying hotdogs). The computer uses infrared beacons to locate your position in the store to within a few feet, so it can also call sale items to your attention.