12. The future

Technology is continuing to change the way that supermarkets operate.

- Many supermarkets are beginning to introduce self scanning. The customer can either scan the price of their items as they walk around the shop or they can scan them when they reach the checkouts. This can lead to some customers cheating and not scanning everything but generally the supermarkets feel that the saving in staff wages will offset any losses.

- Small computers integrated into the trolley can help customers to find their way around the store and to locate items more quickly. Want some ice cream but don't know where to find it? Type "ice cream" on the touch screen and you are directed to the correct aisle - floor plan included. Regular purchases show up on a favourites list, with price and location. Special offers are flagged up as you move from section to section. Write your shopping list online - at home or work and soon it will be automatically downloaded to the trolley's computer.

- Intelligent weighing scales are now available. They contain a digital camera which can recognise an item such as apples, weigh it and print a bar-coded price tag.

- Radio Frequency ID tags (RFID) are being used on more products in the supermarket.

They are tracking devices which can be used to tell the supermarket exactly where a product such as a CD is at any time whilst in the shop. They can be used to identify if the CD has been put back on the wrong shelf or dumped in a different part of the shop by a customer who has changed their mind.

They can also be used to spot whether an item is being stolen.