Publix Super Markets in Atlanta, Georgia are testing out a new device, a high-tech shopping cart of sorts, to keep kids quiet while their parents are doing the grocery shopping. The TV Kart is a small, car-shaped cart with a TV screen that plays children's shows, such as Barney, The Wiggles, and Bob the Builder. The carts are electric and have brakes built in, but unlike the non-electric versions in stores at the moment, parents will have to pay $1 to use them - for the convenience of keeping their children quiet.
It's only a small jump from children's TV programming to advertising - and once the kid is in the store, the battle to get the parents to buy whatever the child wants is nearly won. Whether the stores like them or not, it's a good bet that at least one or two parents' or health groups will be questioning the idea.
