Amazon has unveiled a redesigned version of its Dash Cart, the company’s smart shopping cart that lets customers scan items as they shop and skip the checkout line.
The new shopping cart uses upgraded computer vision to capture barcodes more quickly, improved sensors to track the cart’s location inside the store, and an integrated produce scale that weighs fruits and veggies directly within the cart.
Amazon said it also reduced the cart’s weight by 25% while increasing basket capacity by 40%. And the carts now charge themselves while parked, eliminating the need for employees to manually swap batteries. There are also expanded payment options.
The updated carts are debuting at three Whole Foods Market locations, with plans to expand to dozens more stores across the U.S. by the end of 2026, according to a blog post.
Amazon first unveiled Dash Carts in 2020, offering an alternative to its cashierless stores that required elaborate technical infrastructure. The company has since shifted away from the “Just Walk Out” technology in its large grocery stores, which uses overhead cameras and sensors to detect what people put in their carts.
During a GeekWire test in 2024 of an earlier version of Dash Cart, we found the experience cumbersome, with a steep learning curve. We did like tracking our total spend and accessing our Alexa shopping list with the screen in the cart.
Other companies including Instacart and Seattle startup Veeve have rolled out similar smart carts.
In some ways, the continued investment in Amazon’s Dash Cart reflects the company’s evolving physical retail ambitions: less moonshot, more incremental tech layered onto existing experiences.
Last year Amazon revealed a “store within a store” model that uses automated micro-fulfillment to bring name-brand items into Whole Foods locations. The company is also pushing tighter integration of fresh grocery delivery with other Amazon.com products.
Amazon said it had more than $100 billion in gross sales of groceries and household essentials in 2024, excluding sales from Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh.
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