Walmart appears to be experimenting with some kind of shopping cart tracker, but viewers are split on whether it’s monitoring customer behavior or just the carts themselves.
People say one option feels much less creepy than the other.
Walmart Testing New In-Store Tracking Technology
In a trending video with more than 184,000 views, content creator Mr. K (@mr.k481) shared the strange thing he found in his shopping cart.
On the bottom of the cart was a thick white box screwed into the cart. On it is a series of QR codes. BroBible tried scanning the codes, but they didn’t lead anywhere. So Walmart may be using a special app or tech to secure what’s on the QR codes.
“This is some kind of tracker. And this helps them understand what products … you’re buying because then they can see what products you stopped to look at in the store,” Mr. K speculated.
He claimed that the system can generate a “three-dimensional digital map” showing how long customers spend in front of specific product displays.
The technology reportedly allows Walmart to collect real-time feedback on which products attract attention and how shoppers interact with them. Mr. K added that the system can even track shopping carts if they are misplaced.
This type of tracking reflects broader trends in retail, where companies increasingly use data analytics to optimize store layouts and understand consumer preferences.
Is This Real?
Back in 2018, Walmart patented a system for monitoring shopping carts as they moved through stores, The Counter reported.
According to the patent, carts could pick up invisible markers from specially coated floors, which would then be photographed at checkout to map a shopper’s movements. The data could be cross-referenced with receipts to reveal browsing habits, impulsive purchases, and overall shopping patterns.
Walmart has not confirmed the function of the devices, but the timing and appearance of the boxes suggest they may be part of a broader push to capture in-store behavior, similar to what the 2018 patent outlined.
Another Theory Emerges
Another possible purpose of Walmart’s white boxes is straightforward: keeping tabs on the carts themselves.
Lost or abandoned shopping carts are a persistent problem for retailers. In the U.S., stores spend tens of millions of dollars annually replacing or retrieving stray carts, which can end up in streets, parks, or waterways, CNN reported.
Shopping carts are a significant investment, often costing $250 for standard models and up to $1,000 for larger or specialty carts. To protect this investment, some retailers have turned to technology like wheel-locking mechanisms and radio-frequency tracking systems.
Gatekeeper Systems, for example, saw rising demand for its “SmartWheel” locks during the pandemic, and stores like Wegmans have implemented such systems to prevent carts from leaving store boundaries. Aldi uses coin-lock carts for similar reasons.
Commenters React
“They can put trackers on their carts but can’t fix the wheels on them,” a top comment read.
“That’s what they can afford instead of employees,” a person said.
“Everyone should be boycotting Walmart!!! They are part of the problem,” another wrote.
@mr.k481 Walmart GPS tracker on carts?
BroBible reached out to Mr. K for comment via TikTok direct message and comment and to Walmart via email.