Wegmans Continues to Test Smart Carts
Instacart’s Caper Carts are rolling into more supermarkets. This week, the grocery tech company announced that its AI-powered smart carts will be an option for shoppers at a Wegmans store in the Syracuse, N.Y., area.
The carts are part of a pilot project with Wegmans, as that regional grocer continues to balance investments in technology with its well-established customer service and product assortment. The regional retailer is also testing AI and smart shopping features in other store locations.
“We are doing Smart Cart Test & Learn Pilots in four stores – Perinton and Pittsford in Rochester, Alberta Drive in Buffalo, and at our Dewitt store in Syracuse – with two different technology providers,” a Wegmans spokesperson confirmed in email to Progressive Grocer. “Smart Shopping Carts is an early-stage technology that we believe could be offered to our customers as an alternative way to shop in our stores in the future. We are limiting the program to these stores as we gather customer feedback to drive improvements. Our goal is to determine if Smart Cart Technology is a fit for the unique shopping assortment offered in our stores and if it meets the shopping needs of our customers."
At Instacart, Chief Connected Stores Officer David McIntosh said that the Caper Carts effectively marry tech and in-store preferences and habits. “Caper Carts are transforming everyday grocery shopping into a faster, more personalized experience,” he remarked. “We’re excited to partner with Wegmans – known for their exceptional customer and in-store experience – to bring this technology to their store. Together, we’re delivering customers a delightful and personalized shopping journey.”
This Caper Cart deployment at the Wegmans in Syracuse comes a few months after Instacart expanded the use of the smart carts at Schnuck Markets, Inc. The new carts sent to Schnucks stores in Missouri and Illinois included a new lower tray feature that allows shoppers to easily add heavier, bulkier items.
In other news, Instacart recently shared that it is offering more benefits to its community of Instacart shoppers. The company is introducing an Instacart Shopper Rewards Card powered by Branch, which will include a Mastercard debit card and business bank account created specifically to support shoppers on the platform. In addition, Instacart is updating its Cart Star program that rewards these workers for their efforts, adding higher tiers and changing the way tiers are achieved.
Meanwhile, Wegmans is putting the finishing touches on its latest outpost. The location in Norwalk, Conn., is set to welcome shoppers at 9 a.m. on July 23.
Family-owned Wegmans operates 112 stores along the East Coast. The company is No. 40 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2025 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named the company among its Most Sustainable Grocers.
A grocery technology company based in San Francisco, Instacart works with more than 1,800 national, regional and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from 100,000-plus stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace. Maplebear Inc. is the registered corporate name of Instacart.
