Consumers’ grocery shopping is getting a tech boost, as Instcart’s AI-powered smart carts, called Caper Carts, are now being used at local and independent grocers.
Instacart announced that grocers like Bowman’s Market, Maurer’s Market IGA, Neiman’s Family Market, Queen’s Price Chopper, and Soelbergs Market are now using its latest technology.
These shops operate across Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
The smart carts have cameras, sensors, and a built-in scale. It works with an Edge AI system to automatically recognize items as they are placed in the cart.
Once added, customers are able to monitor their running cost total—similar to an online shopping cart. Customers don’t have to be surprised by how much their groceries cost once they reach the till.
Caper Carts’ features
With the new cart technology, customers can make smarter shopping decisions to fit their budgets and check for the best deals – just like online shopping.
Customers can now:
- Track spending.
- View all deals in the grocery store.
- It can offer product recommendations based on the contents.
The carts reward shoppers with automatic discounts, including digital coupons, as their basket value grows.
At the end of their shopping, customers can check out directly from their cart.
Boosting sales with better experiences
The technology is expected to boost in-store shopping sales this Christmas.
“Caper Carts are enhancing the in-store grocery shopping experience, increasing the visibility of promotions and affordability, and creating new advertising opportunities for retailers through the engaging digital screen,” says Nick Nickitas, general manager at Instacart.
Walmart uses AI tech for better Christmas shopping
Just this week, Walmart announced it’s implementing an AI assistant also to help customers with their shopping experience.
This AI assistant gives customers real-time advice. Customers can ask questions to help find the best gifts for specific ages, compare similar products, and research product summaries and reviews.
NOW READ: Perfect gifts, effortless shopping: Walmart’s AI
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Mia is a multi-award-winning journalist. She has more than 14 years of experience in mainstream media. She's covered many historic moments that happened in Africa and internationally. She has a strong focus on human interest stories, to bring her readers and viewers closer to the topics at hand.
