Samsung rolls out food-ordering fridge

hTe South Korean giant’s device, called Family Hub, will be equipped with three inner high quality cameras that will take and save snaps of what is in the fridge every time its door closes. Users will be able to access those images to check the fridge contents anytime and anywhere they want on their smartphones, if they download a special app. The fridge will also have a 21.5 inch full HD LCD resolution screen built-in its upper right exterior door.

Samsung hopes that the screen will help the refrigerator to become not only the digital family commend and entertainment center but also an online shopping tool. An app developed in partnership between MasterCard Labs and Samsung, is to be integrated into the refrigerator. The Groceries by MasterCard app will connect consumers with selected grocers and allow households to share, build and manage their grocery lists and shopping carts. The final shopping list will just require to be approved with a 4-digit pin, providing control over household purchases. Items will then be paid for in a simple, single checkout that accepts credit and debit cards. Orders will be delivered directly by the merchants.

The app will also learn a family’s shopping habits, making personalized product recommendations on items and brands. MasterCard has also developed a companion mobile app for Groceries, which allows multiple members of a family to add to a single cart from a device of their choice. It also allows consumers to scan barcodes on products for easy additions to the online shopping cart. However new features will continue to roll out, including recipe and video integration, says Samsung.

“We’re developing compelling, safe and seamless commerce experiences for consumers across channels and devices as we continue to eliminate the boundaries between how we shop and how we pay,” said Betty DeVita, chief commercial officer at MasterCard Labs.

A number of home electronics and white goods manufacturers, including Whirlpool, has been working on developing home appliances that could order goods online for some time now.