More Independent Grocers Roll Out Caper Carts
Grocery technology company Instacart has revealed that several local and independent grocers – including Bowman’s Market, Maurer’s Market IGA, Neiman’s Family Market, Queen’s Price Chopper and Soelbergs Market – are rolling out Caper Carts, Instacart's AI-powered smart carts, at their stores.
Customers shopping in these stores, which operate throughout Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington state, can now enjoy a more personalized shopping experience with Caper Carts. The carts feature cameras, sensors and a built-in scale, which work in concert with an Edge AI system to automatically recognize items as they’re placed in a cart. Once the items are added, shoppers can watch their running cost total, similar to an online shopping cart.
Caper Carts also have an interactive screen that tracks spending, provides access to deals, and offers product recommendations based on the customer’s location in the store and the cart’s contents. Integrated with retailers’ existing loyalty programs, Caper Carts enable customers to unlock personalized promotions and rewards throughout the shopping journey, delivering additional value as they proceed through the store. The carts provide shoppers with automatic discounts, including digital coupons, as their basket value increases, so the more they shop, the more they save. When they’re done shopping, customers can check out right from the cart.
“Over the past year, we’ve seen a wave of innovative, independent grocers adopting Caper Carts,” noted Nick Nickitas, general manager, local independent grocery at San Francisco-based Instacart. “Caper Carts are enhancing the in-store grocery shopping experience by boosting sales, increasing the visibility of promotions and affordability, and creating new advertising opportunities for retailers through the engaging digital screen. These carts are an absolute hit with customers, helping local independent grocers solidify their place in the hearts and minds of the communities they serve.”
Caper Carts is part of Instacart’s Connected Stores suite of technologies, which includes Storefront, Carrot Ads, Eversight and Carrot Tags and is designed to bridge the online and in-store shopping experience for both retailers and customers.
“We’re always looking for new ways to improve the shopping experience for our community, and the Caper Carts are a fantastic solution,” said David Cook, CFO of Bowman’s, a grocer based in Kaysville, Utah. “These carts not only make it easier and faster for our customers to shop, but also allow us to continue providing the friendly, hands-on service that makes our store unique.”
“Neiman’s Family Market has been a fixture in our Michigan communities for over 40 years, and we’ve always believed in combining tradition with innovation,” observed Bryan Neiman, president and CEO of St. Clair, Mich.-based Neiman’s Family Market. “Introducing Instacart’s Caper Carts in our stores is our way of honoring our family’s legacy of exceptional customer service. These smart carts will help us create a more personalized and efficient shopping experience, allowing us to better serve the families who have been shopping with us for generations.”
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“At Maurer’s Market IGA, we’re committed to giving our customers the best possible shopping experience while maintaining the personalized service they’ve come to expect,” said an executive at Baraboo, Wis.-based Maurer’s Market IGA. “By introducing Instacart’s Caper Carts to our stores, we’ll be blending innovation with our traditional values to make grocery shopping more convenient and enjoyable for our community. We’re excited to offer this smart technology that will help our customers track their spending and save money while they shop.”
Instacart partners with more than 1,500 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 85,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace. The company also enables approximately 600,000 Instacart shoppers to earn by picking, packing and delivering orders on their own flexible schedule. Maplebear Inc. is the registered corporate name of Instacart.
