The new electronic trolley lock, e-Loc, is fully integrated into the systec ergoNext handle. Its functionality is straightforward: the customer places their smartphone on the handle, and an NFC signal unlocks the mechanism – allowing the trolley to be released.

To encourage customers to return their trolleys after shopping, retailers can reward them with digital loyalty points or coupons. Alternatively, returns can be linked to charitable donations – from climate-neutral initiatives to cancer support. The possibilities are diverse.

In the end, everyone benefits: the charity receives support, the customer feels good about returning the trolley, and the retailer enjoys a clean and organised car park.

To make integrating the e-Loc function into their own app seamless, systec provides dedicated software libraries (SDKs). These enable smooth integration of the locking mechanism into any retail app.

This creates a valuable touchpoint for customer communication: to unlock the trolley, the customer must open the app – providing an ideal moment for engagement even before entering the store.