Mrs. Patel’s supermarket introduced trolleys with a little screen on the handle.
A cheerful notice said they could guide shoppers to anything in the store. Mrs. Patel had come for milk, eggs, and soap. She thought guidance was unnecessary but decided to try it because the screen had a large green button.
“Welcome,” it said. “What are you shopping for today?”
She typed “milk.” The trolley displayed a map, drew a blue line, and told her to proceed to aisle eight. She knew milk was at the back, but the blue line took her past flowers, biscuits, and a special display of pillows.
“Why are we sightseeing?” she asked.
A store assistant heard her. “The trolley shows the best route.”
“For whom?”
He said the route was optimized. Mrs. Patel asked what that meant. He said it meant she would find what she needed. She pointed toward the milk, which she could already see.
The assistant suggested she add all three items first. She typed “eggs” and “soap.” The line changed direction, sending her back toward the entrance for soap. On the way it flashed a coupon for washing powder. Mrs. Patel said she didn’t need powder. The screen asked if she was sure. She pressed YES firmly.
At the soap shelf, she found three brands. She chose the one she always bought. The trolley asked her to confirm she’d picked it up. She did. It suggested a different size. She declined. It suggested two bars for a discount. She declined again.
A man reaching past her for toothpaste said, “Mine keeps telling me to turn around.”
“Perhaps it left something at home,” she said.
He laughed and asked how to silence it. Mrs. Patel couldn’t find a button. The assistant came over and explained that the trolley would stop giving directions once every item was marked complete. Mrs. Patel held up the soap. “I’ve done one.”
On the way to eggs, the trolley recalculated because an aisle was blocked by a stack of bottled water. It led her through the pet section. She had no pet. It flashed a coupon for dog biscuits. She told it no. The screen offered a tutorial on adding household members.
She tried asking it for the customer service desk. The trolley sent her to an empty information point with a phone that rang at the very desk she wanted. The assistant found her there and offered to show her the voice controls. Mrs. Patel declined. She already had enough voices giving her advice.
At last she collected eggs and milk. Three green ticks appeared. The screen congratulated her and pointed toward a checkout on the opposite side of the store. Mrs. Patel knew a shorter route. She took it. The trolley objected with a polite chime every few yards.
At checkout, the cashier scanned the three items. The screen announced, “Journey complete! You saved four minutes.”
Mrs. Patel looked at her watch. She’d spent half an hour on a ten-minute errand.
The assistant asked whether she liked the system.
“Oh, it’s very clever,” she said. “It can find everything except the fastest way out of its own conversation.”