The grocery store in my hometown tried out a product like this for a few years back in the early 90's. It was basically a touch-screen mounted on the handle bars of the cart, and it let you search a database of the items stocked, and it would bring up the location on a map of the store. It didn't do much more than that, but being 10 I though the touch-screen it used was the best thing since the sliced bread that it told me was on aisle 12.

They didn't last long, they disappeared a year or two after they were first installed. My guess was that they had several disadvantages when compared to just asking a friendly store clerk:

1. Store clerks can actually walk you down to the aisle, and point out the exact shelf that the product was on, the computer just told you which aisle to go to.

2. Clerks don't need to be plugged in at night and unplugged in the morning.

3. Clerks don't short circuit if some customer leaves them out in the rain too many times.

I am however thankful that the weren’t around long enough for management to realize that they could load a screen saver on to them and then make a few extra bucks by filling it up with advertisements.

I have seen something similar to this but more basic. The small system just told what isle a product was in on a 2 line LCD. Although searching for something on the system was almost impossible. Most of them didn't last long, they were destroyed by customers and kids playing with them.

I usually just look for the items, ask a clerk, or just wander around aimlessly searching.

However, I could see the future of this item:

1. All food products will contain a RFID.

2. You will be able to make a shopping list on your home computer and transfer it to your iPod, cell phone, PDA, etc...

3. At the store, wirelessly upload it to the stores in buggy system.

4. The system will then route you efficiently through the store.

5. And with the in buggy RFID reader will be able to stop you at each product.

I would actually be willing to bet that someone is already working on that system now.

I have seen something similar to this but more basic. The small system just told what isle a product was in on a 2 line LCD. Although searching for something on the system was almost impossible. Most of them didn't last long, they were destroyed by customers and kids playing with them.

I usually just look for the items, ask a clerk, or just wander around aimlessly searching.

However, I could see the future of this item:

1. All food products will contain a RFID.

2. You will be able to make a shopping list on your home computer and transfer it to your iPod, cell phone, PDA, etc...

3. At the store, wirelessly upload it to the stores in buggy system.

4. The system will then route you efficiently through the store.

5. And with the in buggy RFID reader will be able to stop you at each product.

I would actually be willing to bet that someone is already working on that system now.

just a note: on your #4 reason "the system will then route you efficiently.."

not only will they start slamming adds on the displays (if they don't break too easily) the system could easily be set up to guide you to the high market areas so you will be more likely to pick up extras as you go. it may even try to swing you past every addframe and encap display it can.
I note twhat the local Shop Rite now has "shopTV" mouted on all registers. you get pouded by the adds from is as you wade through checkout

My grocery store also tested something like this several years ago. It lasted about a year and disappeared. As was mentioned in other comments, I suspect they just weren't robust enough to take the severe beatings that grocery carts receive in a store parking lot.

Nevertheless, this still seems like a good idea. I mean, I can never FIND a clerk to ask questions, and when I do find somebody they usually don't seem any more familiar with the store than I am.

The same store also had a gas station that was set up so that you could pay cash at the pump- just feed the bills right into it. THAT seemed like a brilliant idea, but also only lasted a year or so. Probably too much of a hassle keeping the pumps stocked with cash.

These articles always gush about how groundbreaking and time-saving some new product is going to be but never explores the practicality of using & maintaining it in daily life...

Well, speaking as a supermarket store clerk, I don't think the things will last. We already have lists of what aisle things are at on the carts themselves, in addition to another list at the ends of each aisle and clerks running around like myself to help. Additionally, a lot of my customers like browsing through the store, finding new things, bumping into friends, that sort of thing. And how long before food companies start making deals with stores for their products to be mentioned first? Ultimately, I think that, even if these things can hold up to the rigor of a cart's life, they will turn out just like the online shopping and delivery some stores have: some people will use it, but it will be mostly ignored.

As Danceonsnow mentioned, I dread being bombarded with advertisements (or any other audio or visual assault) while I'm trying to shop in peace. Unfortunately, that seems like too much of a financial opportunity for the stores to miss.

Oh, for god sakes, do we have to have a television on everything? Our cars, our cell phones in the mall EVERYWHERE. We can't just go out and live our lives? If I find one of those screens at the end of my shopping cart, I'm knocking the damn thing off. They can kick me out, but that just means they loose a customer. When I go outside my home, away from the simulated version of life (t.v., computers and video games), I want to live the real version of life even if it's boring are tedious (I'm a grown up I can handle it). And if I get lost that's fine, I see it an adventure (although an annoying one). But I like to enjoy the experience, not matter how mundane, of just being there. And besides, it's not without it's entertainment value (especially if you go late at night - there are some particularly strange and disturbing characters out there).

What I think would be more useful is if the carts could ring up your purchases for you. It could update and display your total every time you add something to the cart. I don't have a lot of trouble with not being able to find something - it's the checkout line I want to avoid. You could take the cart up to the front, pay the cashier whatever it says the total is, and be done.

These things would have to be tough to survive in a grocery store. I almost never use computers in stores to find stuff because it is faster to just look. If you don't shop at a store often enough to know where to find things, asking a clerk usually works fine.