Smart Shopping Trolley Using RFID Technology: An Iot-Based Approach for Enhancing Retail Checkout Efficiency

This paper presents the design and evaluation of a cost-effective, scalable, and fully automated Smart Shopping Trolley that integrates Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Internet of Things (IoT) platforms, load-cell weight sensors, and a mobile application into a unified system. Conventional shopping faces persistent inefficiencies, including barcode dependency, long queues, and limited real-time tracking. The proposed system employs an ESP32 microcontroller to coordinate RFID-based item recognition, weight mismatch detection, and Firebase-enabled mobile synchronization, while enabling seamless digital payments. Functionality testing confirmed over 95 % accuracy in RFID scanning and weight verification, with checkout time reduced from$\mathbf{4}-\mathbf{6}$minutes to under 1 minute. Usability testing indicated strong shopper and administrator satisfaction, supported by intuitive interfaces and reliable performance. Findings are consistent with prior studies highlighting RFID-IoT integration and sensor-enabled retail automation, demonstrating that the Smart Shopping Trolley offers a practical, user-friendly, and scalable solution for nextgeneration retail environments.