TCS creates interest in Wal-Mart and Target with its Personal Shopping Assistant

This is a really interesting development for consumers that has been doing the technology rounds for a while. According to a report in The Economic Times, Wal-Mart and Target have both shown interest in a new retail technological product being developed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). The new product is a Personal Shopping Assistant (PSA) and is currently being tested out at the TCS retail innovation lab, with a likely rollout occurring sometime next year. K Ananth Krishnan, Chief Technology Officer at TCS, said that “TCS has worked with some of the largest retailers, including 30 of the 50 largest in the world, and retail contributes more than $200 million in revenues for the company.”

The PSA will be a scanning device with a LCD screen that is mounted on a regular shopping cart. Upon scanning the customer’s loyalty card, the screen will guide customers to special offers and discounts available in the store. Customer’s can also pay via this product as it recognizes bar codes and RFID tags.