16-05-2025 14:26    Vincent

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Weighing has never been easier

At its hypermarket in Zemst, Carrefour is testing a fruit and vegetable scale equipped with artificial intelligence. Now, I can already hear some people saying: “AI is everywhere these days,” “Just throw in a little algorithm and suddenly it’s ‘AI’,” or even “Do we really need it all the time? Soon we’ll be served coffee with AI!” … But don’t be mistaken. In this case, it's a simple, concrete, and useful evolution, for both the retailer and the customer journey. Let me explain, and you’ll see through the next lines and images.

The principle

When you buy loose fruits or vegetables, you usually have to weigh them, select the item on a touchscreen, and then print a price label showing the price per weight, barcode, etc. It’s a simple process consumers have been used to for years. Yes… but… When you’re buying a banana, it’s easy. There aren’t thousands of varieties. But what about potatoes? Or when you are unsure whether you are holding a mandarin or a clementine, or even an orange? And what about the lesser-known items? Ginger, where do you find it in the menu? (For those wondering, it’s in the vegetables, under exotic vegetables ;-)).

This new AI-enabled scale is here to help. The idea is simple: the scale, designed for weighing loose fruit and veg, is now equipped with a camera and a database of product images. So, when you place a banana in the basket, the scale recognizes it, and the customer no longer needs to search through the touchscreen menu. Plus, the more it’s used and the more photos it takes, the more the AI continues to learn and refine its understanding of produce in the fruit and vegetable section.

Is it flawless yet? 

This is still a test phase, and the scale is learning every day. Some items are trickier. Think of sweet potatoes, they come in all shapes and colours. Lemons too; sometimes they’re not fully yellow, and green patches might confuse the camera. Then there’s the matter of differentiating between beef tomatoes and red peppers...

And what about items in bags? Just like you and me, the camera can’t see through plastic (unless you’re Superman or Chuck Norris, of course). So, in that case, the customer is asked to place the bag on the scale with one item visible outside, so the camera can do its job.

In short, the database still needs to grow, and that’s exactly what’s happening during this test.

A simple idea with clear advantages

For consumers, it’s a time-saver and makes the process easier: no more searching through menus, no more confusion about categories or language.

Moreover, the system helps reduce and prevent potential fraud (intentional or accidental), minimizes errors, and therefore also reduces the number of incorrect labels printed.

For the retailer, there are benefits too. This smart scale isn’t significantly more expensive than the traditional ones. And since fruits and vegetables are static products, the system doesn’t need to be constantly connected to a live, updated product database. It can run locally and only needs a connection to the central server when prices are updated.

In the future, scale providers and industry experts believe smart scales will become the norm, and traditional scales will fade away. For Carrefour, which is currently replacing its existing fleet of scales, it makes perfect sense to test this now, and likely roll them out gradually in the near future. Initial feedback from both consumers and store staff has been very positive.

My 20/CENT Is the tomato a fruit or a vegetable?

To clear up any debate, here’s a key piece of information: Carrefour, like many retailers, follows the horticultural classification. So, tomatoes are considered a vegetable, even though botanically they are a fruit developed from a fertilized flower. (Now you can sleep tonight without tossing and turning 15,000 times). But in a way, the age-old question “Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?” no longer matters. Thanks to these smart scales, the system will recognize your tomato without hesitation.

But on a more serious note, I find this innovation genuinely interesting from several angles.

First, the timing. Carrefour is in the process of renewing its scales. Rather than simply upgrading to a newer model, they’ve asked the right question: how can we make the customer experience smoother and more enjoyable?

Second, the feasibility. This development seems very achievable. The investment isn’t huge compared to a full-on replacement (I won’t reveal exact figures, but trust me, it’s reasonable), and it’s also easy to implement in stores since it doesn’t require a continuously connected central database. In other words, it’s a realistic and accessible upgrade for both the group and franchisees.

At trade shows, in stores, through press releases, or directly from professionals who approach me, I see many innovations and digital projects. In my view, the best ones are those that are easy to implement, but more importantly, they need to make sense for both the customer experience and store operations. And as far as I’m concerned, these smart scales fall squarely into that category.

For a video of the item in action, just go on https://vincentpanneels.substack.com/