Thousands of Aussies may soon notice a new feature in their local Woolworths stores, as the supermarket giant’s latest piece of technology is rolled out to dozens more stores.

Shoppers in Caloundra, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, noticed the Scan&Go trolleys had arrived this week, becoming one of just 18 stores in Australia so far with the new tech.

Customers use their Everyday Rewards card to sign into a ‘device’ – an iPad sized touch screen – that connects to the front of the trolleys. The devices have a built-in scanner, so shoppers can scan and pack their groceries as they go.

Sunshine Coast mum Cassie, the popular blogger behind the My Family Eats social accounts, was surprised to see the new trolleys at her local store in Caloundra and immediately wanted to try it out.

"I thought it was super convenient. Easy to use, easy to navigate," Cassie told Yahoo News. "I liked that it was giving me a running total as I was shopping, because I think if you're somebody that's on a budget, that's so handy, so you're not having any bill shock once you get to the checkout."

It is the first time the technology has been rolled out in Queensland. Yahoo understands Woolworths has been installing the new trolley devices at additional stores in recent days. In total 24 more stores will get the smart trolleys by the end of the month.

They include:

Queensland: Burleigh Heads, Capalaba Park, Currimundi, Nambour, Noosa, Northlakes and Warner.
Victoria: Chirnside Park, Malvern, Mornington East, Rye, St Helena, Thrift Park and Moonee Ponds (however in September).
NSW: On top of the 10 locations to already have the trolleys, they will also launch this month in Neutral Bay Village, Richmond, Menai, Mortdale, Revesby, Hornsby, Rutherford, Kotara, Green Hills and Erina throughout the month.

Managing Director for Woolworths360, Rob McCartney said the initial roll out to ten stores across NSW led to feedback from customers about enjoying a faster and more convenient shopping experience.

"We have noticed that over seventy percent of Scan&Go Trolley users are repeat customers, which supports our expansion into Victoria and Queensland respectively. To add, young families in particular have told us Scan&Go Trolley is helping them balance their budget, as they can track their spending in real time," he said in a statement Thursday.

New self-scanning technology met with mixed emotions

While some agreed it was a handy budgeting tool, others saw the new trolleys as a loss of another human interaction.

“I feel like I am paying more and more and then on top of that I feel like I am working for them as well,” one viewer wrote in the comments to the Queensland mum's video. “Love a chat at checkout.”

“I'd rather a connection with a human checking out my shopping,” another woman agreed.

Despite the common complaint, Woolworths insists the feedback has been "overwhelmingly positive" from customers who enjoy a faster checkout experience with the Scan&Go trolleys.

After using the technology, Cassie said there's room for both people who want to use a regular checkout and for those wanting to do it all themselves.

"You can have that personal interaction at the checkout, or if you want to have a bit more control over your shop and know exactly how much it is and have that running total... I think it's giving consumers the best of both worlds," she said.

"This is potentially catering for other people who don't feel comfortable having those kinds of interactions as well. And I had quite a few people who work in social work and things like that, saying that this is going to be great for them assisting with their clients with disabilities and things like that."

Woolies quietly closes Scan&Go mobile at Aussie stores

It was originally introduced in 2018, and allowed customers to use their mobile phones to scan items themselves.

While the technology will still remain in 45 stores, the payment options will be changing. Instead of paying directly through the app, shoppers will have to pay at a Scan&Go checkout.

Customers use their Everyday Rewards card to unlock the devices at the front of the store. Source: Woolworths

"We've received feedback from some of our customers that using a mobile device to scan products whilst holding a basket and other items can be challenging," a Woolworths spokesperson told Yahoo.

"As a result we have looked to streamline the process by incorporating the Scan&Go mobile technology into our new Scan&Go trolleys, to provide a hands free Scan&Go option."

This article originally appeared on Yahoo News Australia at https://au.news.yahoo.com/woolworths-rolls-out-major-payment-change-across-stores--heres-a-list-of-new-locations-210011031.html