Barbie Scan 'n Play Shopping Cart

by Barbie

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 13.1 x 22.6 inches ; 11.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds
• ASIN: B0002FYR20
• Manufacturer recommended age: 36 months - 12 years
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #272,764 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

Product Description

Editorial Review

There are few toys quite as fun as that old standby, the pretend cash register. But as anyone who’s been in a grocery store in the last few years can tell you, the technology has changed a little bit. Gone are the days of punching in each individual price by hand, replaced by high-tech scanners and coding. Fortunately, Barbie rolls with the punches, unveiling this souped-up shopping cart, brimming with products, and scanning system for any kid looking to play grocery store in a more realistic way. 24 pieces of pretend food are included, with a heavy emphasis on snacks like popsicles and cookies, along with a small scanning station. Other shopping items, featured in a flip-book catalog, are also able to be scanned using a special electronic pen. This kit may lack the satisfying clunking sounds of the old fashioned toy cash register, and the American Express co-branding seems to be a bit of unfortunate marketing that does little to enhance the fun, but the use of modern shopping gadgetry will likely be a hit with kids. --Charlie Williams

Product Description

This smart little cart features a built-in interactive touch pen and screen that actually scans and recognizes the play food packages for shopping fun. Sound effects and Barbie's voice encourage little shoppers. Comes with 20 play food packages, plastic wallet with coupons and supermarket circular. Requires 4 "AA" batteries (included). Measures 14.7"L x 22.1"H x 11"W.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

145 of 149 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Extremely frustrating for my 6 year old, November 5, 2004

By 

Kim Palmer "kimpal" (Atlanta, Ga) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:2.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:2.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Barbie Scan 'n Play Shopping Cart (Toy)

I just bought this toy for my daughter's 6th Birthday and thought she would love it. It turned out to be a huge disappointment. There are two ways to shop. By yourself, or buying items off Barbie's shopping list. All my daughter wanted to do was use the handheld scanner that is attached to scan the barcode on each item. She is smart and bright and good with her hands and got so frustrated with that scanner that it drove her to tears. Even I had a difficult time with it. It needs to be held exactly aligned with the box and slowly moved across the barcode in order for a proper scan with Barbie reciting the product and the total cost. I would have to scan it over and over in order for a good scan. The other way to get Barbie to recognize the item is to punch in the 3 numbers over the barcode. I thought this was a good educational option other than the scanner, but my daughter was disappointed that she couldn't scan the items.

Also, the shopping list task seemed like a fun idea. Barbie asks for items in the book and states they are in aisle 2 or frozen foods and you have to look them up and punch in the number. The problem with this feature is that the shopping cart automatically shuts itself off after 90 seconds of inactivity and there is no way to change the amount of time. I appreciate that they want conserve battery life, but my daughter would get two or three items on the list punched in and then would be looking through the book for the next item, and the cart would shut off. Then she would have to turn the cart back on and start all over again. This was another cause for frustration as it sometimes took her more than 90 seconds to look up the item and if she didn't also remember to hit some button on the machine to let it know she was still playing with it, it shut itself off.

This was a good idea for a toy, but we are so disappointed with its features. Why can't they make toys that work properly?? I would love to know if others had a better experience with it.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too high priced, January 23, 2005

By 

S. Galvan "galvansb" (Odessa, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:2.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Barbie Scan 'n Play Shopping Cart (Toy)

My 4 year old daughter received this for Christmas this year. Like the other reviewers, we found it frustrating. Everytime she looks for an item on the shopping list, it shuts off before she's through. It is very durable but is hard to push on the carpet. She never uses the scanner because you have to do it exactly right for it to work. I think she was a little dissapointed that it doesn't have a place for her doll to sit. It was not worth $70.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars SCANNER RARELY WORKS, November 26, 2005

By 

BusyMom "Kristina" (Indiana) - See all my reviews

= Durability:1.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:1.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:2.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Barbie Scan 'n Play Shopping Cart (Toy)

I bought this particular toy because my daughter wanted to be able to 'Scan and Play'. The scanner doesn't work so she doesn't get to scan only play. I could have saved her the frustration and saved quite a bit of money if I had instead bought a different inexpensive cart. VERY disappointed.