System and method for displaying product information in a retail system

A retail system comprising:

• a plurality of portable cards each having a card memory;
• a communication device;
• first memory for storing a signal containing an image of a product;
• a reader that reads a first signal from the card memory of a card in the plurality of cards, in response to a person presenting the card at the communication device, the first signal corresponding to a product;
• a generator for accessing the first memory, using the first signal, to generate a second signal;
• and
• a display for displaying the second signal.

In a system including a plurality of portable cards each having a memory, a first communication device, and a checkout area having a second communication device, a method of operating the system comprising the steps of:

• a first reading step of reading a first signal from the memory of a card in the plurality of cards, in response to a person presenting the card at the communication device, the first signal corresponding to a product;
• generating, responsive to the first signal, a second signal containing an image of the product;
• displaying the second signal;
• a second reading step of reading the first signal from the memory of the card, in response to a person presenting the card at the second communication device;
• receiving a third signal corresponding to a product;
• and
• determining a price for the product depending on whether the first signal, read in the second reading step, corresponds to the third signal.

In a system including a plurality of product areas, a plurality of portable cards each having a memory, a first communication device, and a checkout area having a second communication device, a method of operating the system comprising the steps of:

• reading a first signal from the memory of a card in the plurality of cards, in response to a person presenting the card at the first communication device, the first signal corresponding to a product in one of the product areas;
• displaying, responsive to the first signal, an image of the product;
• removing the product from one of the product areas;
• and
• reading the first signal from the memory of the card, in response to a person presenting the card at the second communication device.