'Paper or plastic' is now 'computer or cashier'

To remain competitive, supermarkets are revving their technological engines. Eventually, say industry experts, shoppers won't need wallets or scanners.

With Pay by Touch systems and microchips embedded in each product, shopping will be as simple as grab, bag, and get out. Sensors will ring up goods within seconds, and a fingerprint-reading device will enable shoppers to access their accounts without using plastic.

Within a decade, grocery analysts say, the industry will be completely transformed.

"It's really quite fascinating," says Todd Hultquist of the Food Marketing Institute, a trade association. "It's not that far off, actually."

Helen Stevens, rounding a corner with staples in her basket - orange juice, milk, bread, eggs - says she's overwhelmed even by the self-checkout aisle. "I don't know how to do it. It makes me nervous," she says with an exaggerated pout. "I'll be 84 in June. My brain is too full now."

George Whalin, president and CEO of Retail Management Consultants, is also skeptical about the new system. Self checkout is, fundamentally, a tool for reducing labor costs, he says, and the hand-held scanner is another step in that direction.

"There's some real question about pushing technologies on the consumer that the consumer isn't demanding," he says. "Has the customer asked for more control? I don't think so. They're selling the concept the wrong way." Supermarkets should instead create a more pleasant atmosphere, he says, so that shoppers would be encouraged to browse longer. Forget interactive gadgets. Put in better lighting, wider aisles, clearer signage.

el - Supermarkets are like other American retailers becoming three-tiered systems - Luxury, Cheap, or Convenient.